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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25925095">So Glad To Meet You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/writershapeholeonthedoor/pseuds/writershapeholeonthedoor'>writershapeholeonthedoor</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supergirl (TV 2015)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Babies, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Building Your Own Family, Comfort, Declarations Of Love, Endgame Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Gen, Love, Love Confessions, Pregnancy, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Slow Burn Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Slow Romance, True Love, chosen family</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:20:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>207,830</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25925095</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/writershapeholeonthedoor/pseuds/writershapeholeonthedoor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Supergirl saves a woman in labor and things kind of spiral out of control after that.</p><p>Or<br/>The AU where Lena and Kara met when Lena is about to give birth and that's how they end up in each other's lives.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Querl Dox/Nia Nal, Samantha "Sam" Arias/Alex Danvers, past Alex Danvers/Maggie Danvers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2087</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3984</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Clock is Ticking</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For someone who said they don't like writing multi-chapters fanfics, here's another one. Well... my mind is working, guys, sue me.</p><p>Anyway, as always, please keep in mind that English is NOT my first language. Be kind, be understanding, be nice. I'm doing my best here.</p><p>This idea literally came to me out of nowhere during the night and I spent the last two months writing it and I'm proud of what I get this far.</p><p>Leave me comments so I can know how this goes. I have about 10 chapters of this written down and I need to know if I should keep going.</p><p>Follow me on Tumblr, @writershapeholeonthedoor, for more content.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Truly, making patrols around town was just an excuse for Kara to fly without Alex flipping a table. She loves flying and the feeling of being free that came with it, but she wasn't allowed to do it unless it was something Supergirl related, so she had to come up with excuses. Two patrols a day, before work at CatCo and after dinner, so her sister couldn't complain about it.</p><p>Truth be told, there weren't many crimes in National City anymore, so her patrols were mostly her helping old ladies get to cross the street or getting kittens out of trees. Even then, those cases were so far in between that Kara could enjoy her time by just getting lost in the sensation of floating around. Actually getting an emergency was the last thing she had to worry about nowadays. People knew Supergirl was there, there was no point in trying to commit a crime if you’re going to be stopped two seconds later.</p><p>Kara gave herself kudos for that because Clark had been around as Superman for much longer and Metropolis' crime range hadn't change that much. But she prefers not to diss on her own cousin, although she could give him some tips if he asked.</p><p>Like making patrols that are just an excuse to be yourself for an hour or two every day. Not everyone can say they saved a dog from being run over by a car while flying in circles near the dog park. Which, by the way, is one of the best places to spend her time flying because the pups are just too cute and Kara often wishes she had the time to get a dog.</p><p>That was exactly what she was doing - looking the dogs from above - when something got her attention. With her superpowers, Kara is always super-aware of everything going on around her. Conversations, fights, calls, and, the worse of it all, sex – just gross. Her hearing was so accurate that she could track down her sister's heartbeat from across town at every moment, so she had to learn very soon in her Earth life how to shut down certain sounds. Whatever isn't supposed to concern her, Kara just ignores it, most times her brain doesn't even register it.</p><p>That's why she got so confused when her ear got a heartbeat in the distance. It wasn't Alex's, she knew her sister's heartbeat all too well, and it didn't seem to be from anyone else she knew, so she wrote it as a sixth sense kind of thing. If her brain got alerted by it, it must mean something. With that in mind, Kara turned around so she wasn't facing the park anymore and tilted her head to the side like it would make her hear better - looking very much like the dogs she was just watching. If her ears could perk, they would.</p><p>The heart was beating way too fast for the person to be at home doing nothing or feeling okay. Kara was too far to hear anything else - breath, if the person was walking, where exactly they were - but she knew the person was alone. Every other heartbeat was too far away to be from someone who was standing near that person.</p><p>There were a number of options that Kara quickly came up with. It could be a jogger, although it sounded more like this person was in panic mode, or it could be someone in danger. Either way, Kara decided to take a look to rule out all the bad scenarios going on inside her head. Taking a deep breath just to set herself into action, Kara started following the sound, her red cape flying around her.</p><p>It wasn't too far from where she was, just a mile or two, and it seemed to be coming from a wealthy part of the city. So it could definitely be a robbery or a kidnapping, Kara thought and pushed herself to go a little faster. Her mind seemed focused on the sound, solely into the heartbeat, and everything else became a muffled background sound.</p><p>Supergirl finally reached a street with huge expensive-looking buildings on both sides on the sidewalks. She stopped, taking a moment to look around to see if her eyes could catch any type of danger around. There was nothing apparently, so she relied back on her hearing to locate the heartbeat again. Following it one more time, she found a black Mercedes parked in front of a building and frowned.</p><p>From that close, she could now hear some panting and small groans of what she assumed were pain, not to mention it didn’t seem like the person’s heart was anywhere near to calming down. Kara took the last impulse to get closer to the vehicle until her feet touched the ground and then she was running to get to the driver’s door. She tried to peek inside by looking through the window, but the windows were all darkened, so she had to take a step back and use her x-ray vision. When she finally saw the person who had caught her attention during what was a calm night patrol she felt the urge to scream.</p><p>Rao’s blessings, she was not expecting that.</p><p>It was a woman. She was sitting behind the wheel, using a black dress, and her dark hair was stuck into a tight bun, but her face was contorted in clear pain, which caused Kara to pause. She could only see the woman’s profile, but the sharp jaw, the small nose and the curled eyebrow where enough to make her understand the woman was in a lot of pain and that she was probably the most beautiful woman she ever saw – which seemed like the wrong thing to notice at the time. Despite the fact that she could count every hair in the woman’s head, Kara couldn’t see anything that explained why her heart was beating so fast or what could be causing her any pain.</p><p>She decided she would have to ask the woman instead. Kara tried to gently tap on the window, but the woman didn’t seem to hear it or care about the sound, so she tried to open the door. It was surprisingly open and she had no trouble pulling it until she could see inside without using her power. It was only then that Kara realized another important detail about the woman.</p><p>She was pregnant. Like, really pregnant. Her big belly was touching the wheel and she had one hand draped over it while the other one was grasping at the seat like she was afraid she would draw if she let it go. Kara had no idea how she didn’t notice it before, especially with how huge the woman was, but it was obvious now. Not only she could <em>see</em> it, but Kara could also <em>hear</em> it. It was a faint noise in the back, behind the fast heartbeat, the groans, and the city’s noise, but it was there. A much slower, weaker, and calming heartbeat.</p><p>The baby, Kara knew out of instinct. That was when she realized the woman was probably in labor and she needed Kara to help her out, even if she had never even come close to any pregnant woman before and had no clue how exactly she could do any help. Alex would have been way better help with her years studying to get on med school but her sister wasn’t there, so Kara would need to improvise.</p><p>“Ma’am?” she asked gently in the most calming tone she could pull out when her own nerves started to rise.</p><p>The woman jumped in the car, clearly startled by her sudden appearance, and her eyes flew open and she stared at Kara – well, Supergirl – like she was scared enough to have a panic attack. Kara was fast to raise both of her hands in surrender and to also show her she wasn’t a threat, before she took a step closer.</p><p>“Ma’am, I’m here to help you. Can you tell me what happened?”</p><p>It might have clicked in the woman’s mind who was the one interrupting her time locked inside her car in the middle of the street because she closed her eyes again to take deep breathes for a few seconds. People trust heroes, Kara knew that, and the woman was fast to relax once she saw who it was.</p><p>“My water broke a few minutes ago,” the woman informed in a breathless voice and with her face twisted in discomfort. “I was trying to get to the hospital, but I think I can’t drive by myself.”</p><p>“Don’t worry,” Kara said while puffing her chest a little. It was ridiculous, but it made her feel proudly taller and stronger. “I can take you there.”</p><p>“Are you sure, Supergirl? I wouldn’t want to take you from saving people who really need your help. I can call a cab or something,” the brunette said it with enough confidence to convince anyone, but the way her voice broke at every few words or how hard her hands were trembling, Kara doubt she would even be able to dial any numbers, let alone walk by herself.</p><p>“<em>You</em> need my help,” the blonde supplied while bending over to remove the woman’s seat belt. Then, she placed a hand on her shoulder and asked: “Can I carry you?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“To the hospital, can I carry you?”</p><p>The woman seemed about to protest, but she suddenly grind her teeth together and her face became even a more accurate show of pain. “Okay,” she finally agreed on between clenched jaws.</p><p>“Okay,” Kara echoed with a small smile. “I will grab you now, okay?”</p><p>All the woman did was nod but Kara took it as a yes so she carefully put one arm behind her shoulders and the other one behind her knees before she slowly pulled her out and into her arms. It was lifting plumes, Kara had no trouble taking her out or supporting her weight in her arms while doing a bridal-carry stile of holding. Once the woman was out and safe, Kara used her hip to push the door closed, happy to see it was one of those fancy cars who locked the door instantly, and then she did her best to look at the woman in her arms in a calming manner.</p><p>“Close your eyes, ma’am,” she offered the warning with a warm smile that the woman couldn’t even see since she already was with her eyes closed. “And hold on tight.”</p><p>Kara took off in the air, followed quickly by a shriek from the other woman. Her body went tense, more than before, her hands grasping at Kara’s shoulders like she truly thought she was about to fall to her death. The hero did her best to slow down to make her feel more comfortable, but still routing to the nearby hospital. A few seconds later, while she flew above National City’s Park, the woman hid her face in the crook of Kara’s neck, groaning in pain again.</p><p>“It’s okay, we’re almost there,” Kara offered gently, hugging the woman closer to her chest.</p><p>Faithful to her words, Kara landed at the “Emergency Only” spot in front of the General Hospital just a couple of minutes after, but she didn’t pause before heading to the automatic doors. Her sudden outburst drew attention from other patients and the few nurses lingering around the lobby but that also put her into a halt, looking around in confusion because she had no idea what to do now that she was there.</p><p>“Hum...” she looked around again, trying to find someone to help her out, pleading that one of the nurses would unfreeze and come to her rescue. That was their job, isn’t it? They shouldn’t be that shocked. “Pregnant lady.”</p><p>“Really?” came the muffled voice against her neck and Kara almost jumped in shock that the woman was actually paying attention to her surroundings.</p><p>But, apparently, her confused statement was enough to set everyone into action. A male nurse rushed forward, bringing a wheelchair with him, while two other nurses went separate ways to find a doctor and Kara almost laughed at that. Instead, she gently lowered the brunette to the wheelchair, smiling thankfully at the nurse. The woman didn’t let her go, though. Her hand ran down from the hero’s shoulder to her biceps, elbow, and finally grasped at her wrist, her surprisingly bright green eyes finding Kara’s blue ones in a silent plea to not let her go.</p><p>Kara hesitated for a second, only a second, thinking what the actual heaven was she doing before she nodded once and moved one hand to rest on the woman’s shoulder. “Where should I take her?” she asked the nurse and he gave her an odd look. “You know, where do you need her to be to... give birth.”</p><p>The man blinked. “I can take her from here.”</p><p>“No, it’s fine,” Kara put her other hand on her waist, trying to pull out her signature pose with only one arm and doing her best to ignore the amused glare the other woman was shooting her way. “I can take her.”</p><p>“Actually,” another nurse rounded the reception table, looking and sounding way more annoyed than anyone else. “Someone needs to fill up her forms.”</p><p>Before waiting for Kara to reply, or give her a chance to duck away from it, she pushed a clipboard into the hero’s hands and walked away while shouting to one of the patients to stop peeling his bandages. The blonde looked at it with no idea what to do and her face must have told her off because she heard another chuckle. This time her eyes drift back at the woman.</p><p>“Let her come with me and you will have your forms all filled in.”</p><p>The man still didn’t look so sure about it but then the woman’s face contorted in pain again and he ended up relinquish the hospital principles, motioning for Kara to follow him down the hall, but still insisted that he should be the one pushing the chair. Since she had her hands free now, the woman pulled the clipboard out of the hero’s hands and started writing her information down. Kara did her best to remain close and in plain sight in case the woman needed her support somehow but the walk to an empty room was quiet, even if a little rushed.</p><p>When they reached the door, she handed the forms back to the nurse and insisted she could climb the bed alone. Kara hovered behind her the entire time, hands reaching out to grab her if needed, but true to her word she managed to do that without much trouble.</p><p>“I will see if my colleagues found a doctor for you yet, miss. I will be right back.” And, with that, they were alone.</p><p>“Lena.”</p><p>Kara blinked, her blue eyes moving from the spot on the wall she had been staring to glance at the brunette. “What?”</p><p>The woman lifted one eyebrow, clearly amused. “My name’s Lena.”</p><p>“Oh,” Kara nodded and opened her mouth to reply, her brain almost filling the silence with her <em>real</em> name before she caught up herself. “Supergirl.”</p><p>Another eyebrow rose, this time drawing a smirk with it. “Yeah, the colorful clothes are a huge tip-off.”</p><p>The blonde blushed a deep shade of red. “Right, sorry.”</p><p>Lena chuckled but it soon became a groan when another contraction started, her eyes squeezing shut and both hands flying to her large belly. Without thinking, Kara approached the hospital bed and held one of her hands so she could squeeze it.</p><p>“That’s okay, I’m very strong.” Kara offered when she saw Lena glancing at her hand with a little worried frown. The brunette clearly decided to test that theory because Kara felt the gradual increase of pressure on her fingers but she only smiled, not bothered by it. “Is there anyone you wish to call?” she asked suddenly.</p><p>“Like who?” Lena asked through gritted teeth, breath still running sharp.</p><p>“I don’t know. Someone who you want to be here?” And, because it only made sense, she added, “your boyfriend, or partner.”</p><p>Lena actually scoffed loudly at that. “There’s no partner, or boyfriend, or husband or anyone.”</p><p>Kara looked around the room, not sure how to feel about that, before she nodded slowly. “Maybe someone from your family?”</p><p>“There is <em>no one</em>.”</p><p>The words were firm and filled with rage, so Kara decided not to press for more information. “Okay.”</p><p>Finally relaxing, although she kept her hold on Kara’s hand, Lena sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so rude.”</p><p>“It’s okay,” Kara soothed her, offering a gentle smile and running her thumb over the back of her hand.</p><p>“The father...” Lena paused and her green eyes open to stare at the cerulean blue ceiling. “He’s gone.”</p><p>“I’m sorry to hear that.”</p><p>Lena must have realized the sympathy in her voice because she was fast to clarify what she meant by that, waving one hand around. “No, no, he’s not... dead! He just, hm, didn’t wish to stay around.”</p><p>Kara nodded, not more relieved than before, and squeezed the hand holding hers. Before she could find something else to say, Lena winced in pain again and this time she gasped loudly.</p><p>“Supergirl!”</p><p>Having no idea what to do, Kara decided it would be better if she found someone who would know what to do, especially because apparently Lena reached a stage where she would need help. Tons of it.</p><p>“Stay here, I will get you a doctor.”</p><p>“Oh, my God!” Lena gasped again, screaming in pain a second later and it set Kara into action immediately after that.</p><p>She ran to the door, darting to the hallway while her eyes tried to track down a doctor, at the same time she had to avert other patients. Kara finally found one of the nurses who had run away from the reception before and she made her way towards her. The woman was walking calmly with a young man that could be a doctor or the son of a doctor, but, either way, he would have to do.</p><p>“She’s in labor!” Kara declared the obvious, not sure why she seemed to be the only one who cared about that small little fact or the woman screaming in pain down the hall.</p><p>“Supergirl?” the man asked in confusion but she didn’t have the time to explain to him exactly what she was doing – not that she knew how to explain that.</p><p>“We can talk later, right now there’s a woman in labor and she really needs your help.”</p><p>Like Lena was trying to help her prove a point, there was another sharp scream and this time the doctor seemed to understand he needed to do his job. Falling into a jog, he made his way to Lena’s bedroom, followed closely by the nurse and Kara, who decided not to dwell too much on why she hadn’t left yet. Lena needed help because she had no one else around, that was it. Plain and simple.</p><p>So when the doctor rushed inside the room, immediately moving to check on the woman in the hospital bed, Kara didn’t think about what it meant for her to be around. Neither she gave it too much thought when she moved to hold Lena’s hand, but the woman seemed grateful that she wouldn’t have to be alone in what was the biggest moment in her life.</p><p>However, things started moving too fast before Kara even understood what was going on. One moment Lena was smiling up at her, still in pain but gleeful, and in the other she heard a quick “why did no one tell me she was already crowning?”, followed shortly by “the baby is coming now!” and then, before her brain could even start to keep up – and it was a freaking fast brain -, one of the nurses was hovering on the other side of the bed.</p><p>“Push!”</p><p>And maybe she got to Lena at the right time, maybe things would have gone really bad if she took two more minutes to get to her, because all it took her was three pushes before the room was filled with a loud cry that made Kara’s sensible ears sting with pain. She paid it no attention, though, because she could see a bloody, small, a little disgusting looking baby being held by the doctor’s expert hands, although she cringed when she saw how much the baby was moving on his hands.</p><p>From her angle, holding Lena’s hand and hovering above her left shoulder, Kara couldn’t see much, but that wasn’t a problem to the medical team apparently. “Do you want to cut his cord, Supergirl?” Now that the nurse mentioned it, Kara could see it was, in fact, a boy. A very loud boy, she chuckled to herself.</p><p>“Go,” a soft whisper shook her out of her thoughts and Kara glanced down at the now exhausted woman who had thrown herself back into the bed. Lena had her eyes closed, her face was red and sweaty, but she had a lazy smile brightening her face when she nodded towards the nurse.</p><p>Kara gulped, her eyes flicking from their joined hands to the nurse and then to the crying baby, before she finally accepted the weird-looking scissors from the older woman and moved to where the doctor had been holding the baby the entire time.</p><p>“Here,” he pointed at a specific point at the umbilical cord, to which Kara promptly placed the scissors before pressing gently. It took her another try to make it work, for some reason she was afraid she would end up hurting one of them, but the baby was taken away the second she did it.</p><p>“Time for the placenta,” the doctor declared after handing the baby to one of the nurses.</p><p>“How does he look?”</p><p>Kara stared back at Lena, taking notice of her soft smile and relaxed features and trying to ignore whatever the doctor was still doing, and offered the woman a smile of her own. “All twenty fingers.”</p><p>Lena nodded almost distracted. “Good.”</p><p>Following the memo of how fast things were moving, even with her powers to help her catch up, a baby was being pushed into her arms before Kara could think about saying something else. He was free of all the blood and other stuff but he was still wet and surely still crying, and the hospital staff seemingly thought he was <em>her</em> baby. Not that she could blame them. Supergirl had never attended a birth before in all the years she had to fly around the sky of National City.</p><p>But when she looked down at the squirming baby, something inside her snapped. All the panic, all doubts, all the confusion melted away and all that mattered was the tiny human wrapped by her arms. With a proud smile, she turned back at Lena and saw that the woman was already watching her.</p><p>“Hey, look who got a perfect pair of lungs out of you,” she joked quietly, turning her body in an angle that would allow her to put the little boy in his mother’s arms.</p><p>Lena chuckled, silent tears rolling down her cheeks when the small bundle was safe in her arms. “Hi, baby. Welcome.”</p><p>And because her brain was still too foggy to do anything else, Kara leaned over Lena’s shoulder to watch the boy as well.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Puppy Bouquet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You guys, what the hell?</p><p>It has been less than 24 hours and the response to this fic has been amazing. Really, you guys rock!</p><p>I will be answering the comments as I can since I got so many of them, thank you so very much for those.</p><p>Also, I will be back with my new tradition of the anecdotes at the end of each chapter, hope it still amuses people.</p><p>Since you guys were so amazing, I will be posting two chapters today. Hope you guys keep enjoying it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's a terrible idea and Kara is very aware of it while she walks inside the white, sterile walls of the hospital. She got some funny looks, not surprisingly since she was still using her super suit but she ignored whoever glared at her with fascination. Instead, she clutched her hands tighter around the flower bouquet and the stuffed puppy, kept her head up high, and walked with confidence so no one would try to stop her.</p><p>She had no idea why she made a stop at the gift shop around the block but the poor attendant was also very shocked to see Supergirl walking inside his store at eight in the morning on a Friday. Kara had stayed almost the entire night lingering around in the waiting room after the nurse demanded she left so Lena could rest. Not that it would make much of a difference because Lena was out and snoring lightly the second they took the baby to the maternity room. After spending almost five hours pacing around, receiving weird looks and keeping track of the two heartbeats above her, Kara decided to go for a walk - or a flight, actually - to clean her head and try to make sense of everything.</p><p>The second she stepped out of the hospital, though, she felt a weight on her chest pressing almost painfully at her heart, like her body was punishing her for going away from the stranger she literally met not even twelve hours before. That feeling got worse the farter she tried to get and Kara finally stopped pushing it when it became clear her heart wanted her back to Lena's side. When that happened, she was already a mile away and she decided to walk back to have some extra time to sort things out inside her head. That's when she found the store and went inside before she even realized what she was doing.</p><p>The flowers, the only type the old gentleman had in his possession, were a bright shade of yellow and she forgot their name a second after he said it but they looked like they cost more than fifteen dollars, at least. She was waiting for the man to wrap the flowers in a brown paper when she spotted the stuffed animals across the room. With a soft smile, she walked towards them, remembering the teddy bear she saw on Alex's room when she first got on Earth.</p><p>Alex, Rao. Her sister would call her crazy if she could see her. Hell, she would call her crazy regardless because she was pretty sure the entire town had seen her walking around and lingering in the hospital by now.</p><p>Kara pushed those thoughts to the side, knowing she could handle her sister, and moved some teddies to the side while she tried to find one to give to the little baby boy she had hold into her arms not a long time ago. It still felt surreal, to be honest. How a small, delicate, loud little creature was born. They didn't have births on Krypton and Kara never thought too much of it, but it was truly a beautiful thing. And when the nurse gave her the baby to hold, just... wow.</p><p>She was almost targeting herself as crazy, or momentarily insane, when she found the white puppy at the end of the pile of stuffed animals, between the bears and lions and unicorns. It was smaller than the others, maybe that's why it had fallen to the bottom, but Kara immediately knew that was the one. The puppy was white, but he had a large black spot around his left eye and a red tongue sticking out of his closed mouth, it also had a red cape wrapped around its neck and a blue-collar with a plastic pendant hanging. Her crest, Kara recognized immediately. She didn't even know there was Supergirl's, or Superman's, merchandising on anything that wasn't celebrative shirts, but she wasn't going to complain right at that moment.</p><p>Instead, she picked the puppy up and held it with a smile until the gentle old man offered to put a ribbon around it to make it look like a gift. Which she accepted and that's how she found herself walking inside those hospital walls again not even an hour after leaving in the first place.</p><p>Her phone had ranged a couple of times in her hidden pocket but she ignored it for now. On any normal day, Kara would have done her patrol around town and would be walking inside CatCo by now, so Alex was probably worried about her radio silence and trying to reach her. She would text her soon to let her sister know she was still alive, but she wished to talk with no one yet. Well, no one that wasn't Lena, apparently, because she found her hospital room without a problem, easily following her heartbeat.</p><p>Kara stopped outside the door, holding the flowers in front of her chest and the puppy pressed against her right thigh. She could hear two heartbeats at the other side of the pastel yellow door, so she knew Lena wasn't alone like when the nurse pushed her out, although she could also recognize the second heartbeat like it was a sound she had heard her entire life. Both heartbeats were steady and almost lazy, so she knew they were both asleep. Carefully, she pushed the door open, making sure it wouldn't make a sound and wake them up.</p><p>Peeking her head inside, Kara made a quick scan of the room to make sure things were like she predicted, then she smiled. Lena was lying in bed with a blue sheet covering her still tired body. She wasn't attached to any wires anymore but she was still lying with her stomach up. Her head was turned to the side like she had been watching something when she fell asleep, which wasn't hard to picture when Kara's eyes fell in the hospital bassinet beside the bed.</p><p>There was a small mount of blue sheets inside the bassinet and Kara smiled softly when she spotted a flash of pink skin between the firmly wrapped sheets and the tiny little white hat. The hero finally stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind her, and started moving around without making a sound. She put the flowers on top of the table beside the bed and the puppy by its side, before walking around the bed to stand in front of the baby. Sleeping and wrapped in so many layers, he looked even smaller. It made Kara wonder if Lena had an early birth or if he was just supposed to be that small really.</p><p>Kara crouched in front of the bassinet, resting her forearms in the steel structure and then placing her chin on top of her arms so she could watch the baby. His face was still red, his cheeks even more, his eyes seemed a little swollen and, overall, he looked like a burrito between the baby blue sheets. She hadn't thought about asking for his name before, which sounded crazy now, so she started looking for something that could give her the information. She found a clipboard attached to the side of the bassinet and reached out for it with one of her hands. Her eyes quickly scanned the pieces of information of weight and size, her heart warming up to the good results of his first exams, but the space dedicate to the name remained unfilled.</p><p>Baby Luthor, that's all it said, and Kara almost gasped out loud to that.</p><p>Luthor. Like, in Lex <em>Luthor? </em>The Lex Luthor? The man who not only tried to kill her cousin but also murdered so many people in his plot to do so? Rao, who was this woman?</p><p>Kara threw a glance at the brunette resting in the hospital bed and frowned. She tried to call back Lex's image, all the times she saw it on the television or at the pictures her cousin showed her of his former best friend, but Lena didn't look like him at all. Her brain filled the silence of confusion with a hair joke but she only huffed to herself on that. Kara couldn't remember ever reading that Lex ever got married, albeit this woman seemed way younger than him, but she also couldn't remember if it was ever mentioned that he had a sister. Maybe she was a cousin.</p><p>Regardless of that, and even though it should matter, Kara wasn't interested in the mysterious woman's last name. She was Lena, the woman she found just a few minutes of giving birth inside her car, alone and scared, who told her she should go save someone who was in danger when it was clear that she herself needed help, who was sound asleep in front of her, looking so small and fragile. So Kara brushed the new information to the side, deciding she didn't care or wouldn't care, and looked back at the paper filled with information.</p><p>First feeding: 8:20.</p><p>Kara glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost nine now, so she guessed they had woken Lena up at some point after she left so she could feed the baby. They hadn't been sleeping for long then, so Kara made a note to be extra careful not to wake them up. She silently put the clip back after staring at the footprint for a little too long and returned to her previous position watching the baby.</p><p>She didn't know what was that pull, that urgent feeling to stay there with them, and Kara didn't wish to dwell on that too much. Not at that moment, at least. Once she left and got home she would allow her mind to find a reasonable explanation for her actions but she wasn't going to do that when the two strong heartbeats were sounding so loud inside her head, filling her chest with a warmth she had never felt before.</p><p>Kara had no idea how long she just stood there, crouched and watching, but her blue eyes were the first thing to notice a change. The baby's small forehead frowned, his tiny lips pursed together and, a few seconds later, his body twitched inside the blankets burrito. Before Kara could try to figure out what was going on, a miserable wail left his slightly parted lips and she jumped in surprise. She looked around but Lena hadn't woken up with the noise, and Kara thought she was definitely tired of her long night.</p><p>Without thinking much, or needing to contemplate how, Kara bent down, wrapping her hands around his little body like the nurse had taught her the first time. She pulled him out from the bassinet and into her chest, carefully and slowly, gently swaying his body like she had been doing that all her life.</p><p>"Shh," she hummed softly. "Shh, little boy. It's fine. What do you need, huh?" She wasn't waiting for an answer but her voice seemed to calm him down a little. His wails stopped, even though he kept struggling inside his burrito. "Are you feeling stuck?"</p><p>As she spoke, Kara found the loose end of the blanket and pulled it loose a little bit to give him some air. He seemed glad for a few seconds before he started fussing again, his wailing returning. The hero tried to shush him again as she started walking around the room with the baby safe in her arms, cheek pressed to the side of his head.</p><p>"What is it, huh?" Kara wondered softly at him. "Do you think J'onn could figure it out? Rao, wouldn't that be great? I would love to have his ability right now."</p><p>The more she spoke, the less upset the baby looked, so she kept talking, sometimes not even paying attention to what she was saying, walking from one side to the other in the big hospital room, swaying her body gently. Unknown to her, green eyes were staring her from the bed, alert and filled with tears.</p><p>"Do you want more food?" Kara asked after a few minutes. She was almost giving up and going to find a nurse who would know exactly what to do, when the boy let out a particularly loud cry, then stopped. Kara paused in the middle of the room, eyes wide and slightly scared, before her nose finally caught up what had just happened and wrinkled. "Ew."</p><p>A soft chuckle filled the sudden quiet of the room and her eyes darted up to watch Lena covering her mouth with a delicate hand, green eyes glaring with amusement. Despite her situation, Kara couldn't help but smile at the woman, a loop-sided smile that made her look more dreamy but that made her eyes shine with emotions.</p><p>"He's not so cute anymore, huh?" If Lena was surprised that she was still around, her voice didn't show it. She put both hands at the side of her body to push herself up in a sitting position, her face twisting in a grimace like the movement caused her pain. Kara wished she had her hands free to offer her some help but the woman managed to do it without much trouble.</p><p>Kara sighed in relief when Lena seemed to find a comfortable place to sit and looked down at the now crying baby in her arms. She could understand why he was so upset suddenly. "Not if you hold your breath," she replied with a shrug and Lena chuckled again.</p><p>Blue eyes moved to the woman in bed again like she was in awe at the soft sound, a distracted grin on her lips, and Lena couldn't help the blush that rose on her neck. "I should call the nurse," she said to distract herself. "She said she would teach me how to change his diapers."</p><p>Kara nodded, more to herself, and walked to bed so she could pass the baby to his mother's arms. "I will go get her," she declared in a whisper. Once the boy was safely transferred, although still crying loudly, Kara offered the brunette a smile. "Be right back."</p><p>Kara easily found a nurse down the hallway and the woman, a nice looking professional, asked Kara to wait around to receive another set of baby blankets while she helped Lena out. The blonde watched her go as she leaned against the nurses' station after being informed by one of them that she would be right back with the items. She kept her ears out to the two heartbeats that were almost familiar by now and made a mental note of how different they sounded on each situation. She had no idea why she would need that information in the future but it seemed important.</p><p>Since she had her focus somewhere else, Kara didn't notice the approach of a tall brunette using a black coat over a set of business clothes until the woman leaned over the nurses' station by her side.</p><p>"Hi, I'm here to see my friend," the woman said, sounding a little out of breath.</p><p>"Name?" One of the nurses asked, typing something on the computer.</p><p>"Lena," Kara's head snapped to the side. "Luthor."</p><p>The hero watched, with wide eyes, the woman beside her. She had no idea who she was and the woman didn't seem to have noticed her yet - which was quite surprising considering she was still using her super suit - but the nurse soon found the information she was looking for.</p><p>"Yes, Ms. Luthor is here. I'm afraid she already has someone with her, so I can't let you in. Only one visitor at a time."</p><p>The mysterious brunette - seriously, what was with them showing up in Kara's life out of sudden - frowned so deeply that her eyes almost closed. "She has a visitor? Lena doesn't know anyone in the city," she commented, clearly confused by that. "Is it her mother? Lillian said she wanted nothing to do with her since she got pregnant, I can't picture her coming all the way here to visit her now."</p><p>Lillian. Lillian Luthor. So not only mysterious brunettes but also every member of the Luthor family had decided to pop in her life too. Kara gasped, luckily neither woman heard it, and tried to turn her body so it wouldn't be obvious she was listening to the conversation.</p><p>"I can't tell you, ma'am, I'm sorry." The nurse's eyes, though, moved briefly to the blonde superhero just casually standing there like she too couldn't figure out what she was doing. The woman didn't seem to notice the move, thankfully.</p><p>Lillian Luthor. The woman who had to take it as her personal mission to hunt her down the same way Lex chased Kal. They had crossed paths a couple of times before, neither of them had been a pleasant encounter for Kara since the woman seemed to be growing kryptonite in her back yard. As far as the DEO knew, Lillian was the head of CADMUS, and between finding ways to kill aliens she seemed to have acquired a particular taste to make Supergirl's life a living Hell. As chilling as it felt, she also knew that Lillian was aware of her secret identity. She didn't know how, but the matriarch of the Luthor family had to find out about her human cover and it was a scary thing to wait around to see what she would do with that information.</p><p>And, apparently, she was Lena's mother. Her life couldn't go easy even for a day.</p><p>"Look, if it's Mrs. Luthor, you shouldn't let her in, okay? That woman is crazy." Well, Kara could agree with the unknown lady. "I heard she got a flight to come to the city but I doubt Lena wants her anywhere near her."</p><p>Lillian was coming to town? Was she coming to visit her daughter and... grandson? Rao, it was so weird to picture Lillian as a grandmother. However, if the mysterious lady was saying the truth, Lena didn't want her mother around and Lillian also didn't have a reason to show up. Either way, it was a dangerous concept. If Lillian Luthor actually walked through that door and found Kara, things could go very wrong and very quickly. Kara wasn't sure the woman had any scruples not to start a fight inside a hospital filled with innocent people and she also wasn't sure she wouldn't end up hurting anyone to get to Kara.</p><p>So, even if it felt like her heart was shattering in a million pieces inside her chest, Kara decided it was time for her to leave.</p><p>She had saved Lena and the baby, brought her to the hospital, and honestly stayed around much longer than she had to. Supergirl didn't have to watch births or make sure the baby was fine afterward, and people were definitely throwing her weird looks by now. It was better if she stepped aside and let this woman, who was clearly Lena's friend, take over. Lena would even prefer to have an actual friend by her side and not a superhero who was the cousin of a man who sent her brother to jail while claiming insanity.</p><p>Rao's sake! Lena probably hates her for what Kal did. Not that Kara blamed him for it but the Luthor's evidently did if Lillian systematic hunt at her was any indication.</p><p>Yes, going away was for the best. Lena was safe, the baby was fine and now she had a friend to help her out.</p><p>With a nod and a lump in her throat, Kara pushed herself from the counter and started walking away.</p><p>"Supergirl?" The woman took notice of her and asked in a surprised voice, but Kara didn't turn.</p><p>She kept walking to the exit. She could hear the nurse returning with the replacement blanket and asking where she was going. She could hear two steady heartbeats and no more crying, so she smiled to herself and pushed the door open. It felt like she was pushing a thousand trucks at the same time although it was nothing but a normal door.</p><p>The first ray of sun to hit her face did nothing to make her feel better, neither the looks people on the sidewalk were giving her or the fact that she wished she could turn around and go back. So, before she could do just that, Kara took a deep breath, bent her knees and pushed herself in the air as high as she could go with only one impulse. Once she was near the clouds, Kara closed her eyes, took another deep breath, turned right, and fled.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kara: Mom always said to spend my money wisely. So I will just go buy those strangers some gifts and tell my non-existent accountant that it was for an emergency.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Break in, Break out</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here goes another one!</p><p>Let me know how you guys feel about it now!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She should have known that run – or fly - wouldn’t make her problems go away. At least, not since she was a kid. Her life really took a sharp turn when she left for college.</p><p>"You did what?"</p><p>Kara sighed from her place in her sister's couch, hugging a pillow against her chest. "I know."</p><p>Alex shook her head, standing in front of her with her arms crossed and a deep frown. "Kara, I called you a hundred times! I texted you! I thought something really bad had happened and all this time you were just deciding to start a medical residence?!"</p><p>The blonde winced at the volume of the redhead's voice but she kept her eyes glued on the black TV screen in front of her. "Sorry I didn't call you back."</p><p>"You're sorry?" Alex scoffed. "You better be sorry! God, Kara, I was ready to send the entire DEO after you! And what the hell were you doing helping deliver a baby?"</p><p>"I wasn't helping deliver a baby," Kara rolled her eyes, a smidge of annoyance attached to her words. "I just... stayed there while it was happening."</p><p>Cringing at her own words and Alex's scoff, Kara did her best not to think about the fact that her heart seemed to beat more painfully than ever. It was like it was longing for something and it made her feel uncomfortable.</p><p>"Right," Alex barked. "You <em>just</em> stayed there while <em>Lena Luthor</em> gave birth!"</p><p>At the venom on her sister's words, Kara frowned and looked up at her. "She was alone and she's not her brother."</p><p>"How can you know that, Kara?!" Alex threw her arms around exasperatedly and started pacing in front of the couch. "You don't know how she's like! She might be just like him, for all we know!"</p><p>Kara wanted to jump in and defend Lena's honor, but Alex was a little right on her ranting. She didn't know. Of course, Lena didn't try to kill her on spot but that might have been because she needed help and Supergirl was the only one around. Until twelve hours ago she didn't even know Lex had a sister. Kara couldn't affirm that Lena was nothing like him.</p><p>Still, something inside her was sure Lena was different. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew it.</p><p>"We don't even know what she's doing in town! You said it yourself, that her friend said she doesn't know anyone here, so why is she here?" Alex continued, looking more and more in panic as she spoke. "Why National City from all places?"</p><p>Kara rolled her eyes. "You think a pregnant woman moved here in a plot to get me?"</p><p>Alex glared at her. "You seem to forget <em>who</em> we're talking about. She's the daughter of the woman who built a machine to destroy you."</p><p>"She's not her mother," Kara declared in an even tone. "And she's not her brother."</p><p>"How can you know that?"</p><p>"I just do."</p><p>They stared at each other for a long time, neither of them willing to back down, until Alex sighed and her shoulders slumped. "Why did you even stayed there, Kara?"</p><p>Well, Kara would also love to know the answer to that. Why did she stay? Why did she felt a pull towards them in the first place? Why did her heart felt like there was a hole in it since she left the hospital?</p><p>"She needed me," she replied to her sister, even if they both knew that wasn't the whole truth. "I'm Supergirl, remember? She needed my help, so I helped her. It doesn't matter if she's a Luthor or what. She's a National City citizen and I made a vow to protect every single one of them."</p><p>Alex looked at her, really looked at her, then nodded once. "Well, it's over now. Let's just keep an eye out in case Lillian really comes to town."</p><p>Even though Kara nodded as though she agreed, she couldn't help the sting of pain she felt to know it was over. Because it was. She helped Lena, she did her work, and now it was over. She would likely never hear of the woman again and it would remain as a crazy story to retell during game nights. And that would be it.</p><p>Except that she couldn't let it be <em>it.</em></p><p>Later that night, after her patrol, Kara found herself flying to a place in town she rarely went to. She was being called by these two heartbeats that sounded like they were inside her head and not across town. Soon, and without realizing it, Kara was hovering above the highest building, eyes closed while she tried to picture the scene her ears were hearing.</p><p>There was shuffling and muffled conversation inside the penthouse. A small whine, soft sniffles like someone had just stopped crying and pacing. Kara tried to picture it: Lena walking around with little baby Luthor, soothing him with her gentle voice while holding him against her chest. They were alone, Kara could tell. The unknown woman wasn't around and that fact made her a little angry. She left under the impression that Lena would be under the care of a friend that obviously cared about her.</p><p>Kara shook her head, trying not to let her thoughts wander too far, and tried to focus on the sounds coming from the apartment beneath her. Both heartbeats moved away from each other and Kara imagined that Lena might have put him down. For a while, there was no other sound beside Lena walking around the apartment, opening and closing cabinets and doors. After an hour or so, she heard Lena's heartbeat slowing down and guessed she went to sleep as well.</p><p>For another forty minutes, there was no other sound beside soft snores and calm heartbeats. Kara chuckled to herself when she heard Lena snoring and mumbling in her sleep. Almost like the baby was listening to her as well, he wailed, long and clearly distressed.</p><p>That's when Kara completely lost her mind. Totally lost her mind, no doubt at all, because she hovered from the rooftop where she had been sitting on until she landed on a small balcony. The apartment was dark, all lights were off, and the only other sound was coming from the fridge, so she decided to take the risk.</p><p>Why did she decide to break into a house in the middle of the night when there was literally no danger in sight she would never be able to tell, but Kara had decided that pushing every conscious thought out of her mind would be the best option for now or she would send herself to a mental institution for sure. Instead, Kara tried to think she was doing a tired mother a favor by taking care of a problem before she had to wake up. As crazy as it sounds.</p><p>Kara slipped inside the apartment as quietly as she could, making sure to close the balcony door behind her so the cold air of the night couldn’t get in. She walked almost surely in the apartment, following the heartbeat and using her supervision to make her way without turning any lights. There were several doors on the large hallway and Kara quickly swept her eyes around to know where things were. The master room was, as expected, at the end of the hallway, a wooden door completely open and Kara blushed a little when she noticed the body dropped on the bed. There was a bathroom to her right, an office right in front of it, and what looked like a small library beside it. At the door closer to the master bedroom was the baby room and Kara set her pace towards it.</p><p>The room was way bigger than any baby would ever need it to be but Kara also never had to handle a baby before so she couldn’t actually be the judge on that. The walls were all painted in a pastel baby green that made Kara remember Krypton’s forests for some reason. There were also some other decorations that she tried not to dwell too much into because that sounded too... creepy. Like it would cement the creepiness of it all - the break-in, the walking in uninvited, the criminal activity she was trying really hard not to think too much about.</p><p>The crib was positioned right in the middle, on top of a fluff rug that stifled her steps, with some cute plastic animals hanging from the ceiling above it. There was a comfortable-looking armchair at one of the corners and some other baby stuff Kara had no idea what their utility was, and she hoped she wouldn’t have to find out. The baby’s wails turned into sniffs, his cute baby face contorted into a grimace, and his little hands were waving around like he was fighting something.</p><p>That thought made Kara chuckle to herself. She tried to picture the little boy using his little fists to fight little treats and felt her heart melt completely. She bent down, leaning against the wooden side of the crib, and green eyes immediately turned at her in curiosity. He clearly had no idea who the person staring down at him was but that caught his attention enough to pause his possible cry.</p><p>Kara reached out with her right arm, one finger pointing at him before she ran her index finger down his forehead to his chin. He blinked, even more confused than before, so she did it again. This time, a toothless smile spread over his face and his hands, closed in fists, waved again like he was trying to reach her. She chuckled again, thinking the crisis was avoided, but it didn’t take him long to remember why he was upset in the first place. He wailed again, louder this time, and Kara jumped a little bit, both scared and bothered by the sudden noise.</p><p>From down the hall, she heard the moving of sheets and a deep breath, so she decided she had to make the baby stop or Lena would wake up and her entire plan would go South. Kara had never held a baby before though, and she had to really think about how to do it before even moving into action. Very aware of her strength and the fragile kid, Kara finally picked him up, a little awkwardly at first, but she soon found the better spot to hold him. Placing his chest against hers and his head on her shoulder, she held him firmly with both arms, as she started soothing him with a quiet shush.</p><p>That made him stop his cries again and, when it didn’t return right away, Kara wondered if he just wanted some company. Again, she knew nothing about babies. If Alex could see her now, she would either make fun of her awkwardly handling the situation or she would scream at her for being out of her mind. Invasion was always bad in Alex’s book.</p><p>“What’s your name, little guy?” Kara whispered to the darkroom, not expecting an answer, but wondering nonetheless. She knew his mother’s name, his grandmother’s, his uncle’s, but not his. And, for some reason, that detail seemed to be genuinely important to her. “My father was named Zor-El and my cousin is Kal, but those are not Earth names, huh?”</p><p>“Liam.”</p><p>“Rao!” Kara shouted, turning around as fast as she could with the baby in her arms, but the damage had already been done.</p><p>The little boy in her arms, startled by her sudden scream, started crying right away, his lungs doing wonders in the quiet night around them. Kara’s eyes were wide when she stared at the woman leaning against the door with her arms crossed and one foot pressed against her own thigh so her legs were assembling a four. Lena had evidently been there for a while by the way she was standing but Kara had no idea why she had just stayed there and watched instead of scream and demand that Supergirl left her apartment before she called the cops.</p><p>She had other things to worry about now because the boy wasn’t giving any indication that he would stop crying any time soon. Lena pushed herself from the door, walking calmly towards them in the middle of the room, arms already reaching to hold the baby. Still slightly scared, and very confused, Kara handed her the boy as gently as she could, watching in fascination as the mother held him with so much care and how the boy seemed to recognize her right away. He didn’t stop crying but he did snuggle closer to her instantly.</p><p>Kara blinked, still not sure what to do now that she was caught not only breaking into someone’s house but also holding their baby in the middle of the night. Although she should have realized it was a possibility when she decided to do it. Another reason why she shouldn’t have done it but it was too late now. Definitely too late.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Kara mumbled under her breath. She wasn’t sure if that would cover all the apologies she wanted – for breaking in, for touching her baby, for making him cry – but that was all she could say.</p><p>Green eyes moved to stare at her. With furrowed brows, pursed lips, bare feet, and silk pajamas, Lena took her breath away for a quick second. The woman seemed like she wanted to say something but also didn’t know how or what exactly, her eyes studying Kara – no, not Kara, Supergirl. She must also be scared, Kara realized. She woke up and found National City’s hero standing in her apartment in the middle of the night, the same hero that had a long time feud with her family.</p><p>“His name is Liam,” Lena whispered finally before giving her attention to her son again. She kept swinging him gently, soothing, holding him on her arms like she was trying to make him go back to sleep.</p><p>Kara nodded, taking notes on the way Lena was handling him, before taking a step back. She almost hit the crib before she remembered it was there, then she took a step to the side and started making her way around the woman. Lena looked up again, clearly still confused and maybe a little scared, but the blonde only nodded again and offered her a tight smile.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” she repeated, and then she was gone.</p><p>She ran and jumped from the balcony before her brain had even caught on what was happening. She hit the air a second later and was flying away as fast as she could as soon as her body stopped feeling so limp.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kara: Note to self: Baby are smool beans, treat them right. They also look like Gollum but you should keep that to yourself.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Step in, Step Out</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm still so shocked by the amount of good feedback I'm getting from these. Honestly, you guys are making me damn happy</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kara decided not to tell Alex about her little adventure. It wasn’t like she did anything that would cause harm to the DEO. In fact, she went to her nightly routine around town and made a quick stop. Nothing she hadn’t done before to eat ice cream or a pizza, so yeah, Alex didn’t need to know that she broke inside a house during her patrol.</p><p>She also didn’t need to know that Kara kept coming back and that the patrol of the town became a patrol of a baby. Every night, Kara would fly across town and sit on the rooftop with her eyes closed and her ears eager to catch any sound coming from the penthouse beneath her. Kara would smile to herself sometimes, hearing mom and baby living their lives and going on about their nights, sometimes she would grimace because of something she heard – a loud cry or Lena talking to herself.</p><p>She hadn’t dare get inside again but she had been tempted to. Especially when the little boy, Liam, would start crying again after Lena had just got in bed. There was even once, two nights ago, when she heard a different cry, more adult, and much more quiet, and she knew it was Lena. Kara had landed on the balcony again and her hand had touched the glass door before she snapped out of it and decided to fly away again before she did something stupid.</p><p>But she kept coming back every night. Kara still didn’t know if it was the fascination that made her come back or if she had just gone crazy after all, however, the lack of self-knowledge didn’t stop her. So, yeah, she was probably just crazy.</p><p>It wasn’t until a bit more than a month since she started those little escapades that things changed again. Kara was sitting on her usual spot – if Winn ever heard about that he would make fun of the situation saying she needed to pay rent if she wanted to sit her ass there every night – when she heard a very upsetting sound coming from inside the apartment. At first, it made her cringe, the volume being almost too much for her sensible ears, but the cry was followed shortly by a desperate voice that grabbed all her attention.</p><p>“Please, calm down, Liam. I can’t do this if you don’t stop moving.”</p><p>Kara tried to extend her hearing so she could gather what was going on but all she managed to figure out was chaos. She could hear the baby crying, Lena trying to calm him down, frantic heartbeats, a kettle in the stove making a loud whistling noise, and, overall, chaos.</p><p>“Liam, stop moving!”</p><p>Lena sounded more frustrated than Kara had ever heard her being and, without her acknowledge, her body started to hover from her place, down to the side of the building and further.</p><p>“Please, baby, you have to cooperate with me. I know you want the noise gone, but I have to change you first.” There was a pause when another loud – and loud even to human ears – cry erupted from inside the apartment and Kara blinked, startled by the noise. Shocked, she finally realized she had landed on the balcony again, although she was in the far end. “Liam, please.”</p><p>That almost broke her determination to stay put. Lena sounded a second away of crying, desperation, and frustration clear on her voice, and Kara had to remind herself that opening the balcony door was adding another crime into a disconcertingly growing list. Maybe she should tell Lena to close it with the key, although the woman didn’t usually have to get worried that someone would try to break inside her home when she lived 47 floors above the city. Rao, that only made Kara a weirder creep.</p><p>She thought about sneaking in just to turn the stove off first but that would probably freak Lena out even more, maybe thinking the whole thing was about to explode, so instead Kara took a deep breath to help her own nerves to stay in check and closed her eyes. She shouldn’t have moved from her usual spot. No, scratch that, she shouldn’t even have a usual spot above the woman’s place without her knowing it. Doesn’t matter that she only wished to help. Even more so because she had no idea how she could even help.</p><p>Kara should go back home. She should turn around, fly back and pray to Rao that no one ever found out about the things she did. Earth people talked a few times about a confessional, maybe she should go there. Although, if Alex ended up finding out about what was happening, her sister would make sure she...</p><p>“Supergirl?”</p><p>Kara’s eyes snapped open and she took a step back without thinking about it first. Her back hit the railing and, startled, she took two steps forward before she could break it. Include wanton destruction of private property on her list would do no good. When she recovered herself from the initial shock of being sneaked upon, she glanced inside the apartment with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open.</p><p>(And, really, did the feeling of being surprised made her feel good? No. So no more sneaking on other people’s house)</p><p>Lena was standing on the other side of the glass door, holding a still crying Liam on her arms. The baby was wiggling, wailing, and sounding so utterly upset that anyone might think he was being tortured, albeit Lena was holding him so gently that it was hard to see what was causing him so much distress. The woman, on the other hand, had a deep frown as her eyes studied Supergirl from a few feet away. She looked suspiciously distrustful even, and Kara couldn’t bring it on herself to blame her. In fact, she would be worried if the woman didn’t felt that way towards an intruder.</p><p>(And there it was the word. Kara was an intruder. Great)</p><p>And although the entire thing could be easily written down as pure and simple chaos – with the crying baby and the loud kettle upsetting Kara’s sensible ears, and the skeptical looking mother staring at her – the blonde still found it in herself to smile. She tried not to make it look too weird though because that would add ‘perp’ on the list of crimes she would have to answer at some point. So, rather than give them another reason to lock her away, Kara cleared her throat.</p><p>She used a finger to point at the locker keeping her outside, although she knew it wasn’t actually locked. When Lena didn’t move, she pointed at her own chest, then to the kitchen where the kettle was screaming like a new found form of torture, then to the crying baby, then to Lena. The chain reaction was immediate and it had the potential to be funny. Lena arched one eyebrow, clearly startled by the implication of what was being pointed, and she consciously brought the baby closer to her chest, which only made things worse because he immediately started crying even louder.</p><p>“Fuck,” Lena whispered under her breath, so low that only super hearing could catch, as she looked down to calm her baby. “No, no, Liam, it’s okay! I’m sorry, baby boy.”</p><p>“Sorry,” Kara echoed, weirdly changing her weight from one foot to the other outside. Her hand raised to fiddle with her glasses before she could stop herself and she squirmed in place when she remembered she was there as her alter-ego and had nothing to use as an escape to her nervousness. Instead, she scratched the back of her neck before dropping her hand. Lena looked back up at her and she realized that the woman could hear her through the door, which only made the pointing thing even more ridiculous. “Can I... Do you...” She cleared her throat again, eyes roaming the space around them in search of anything she could do to make the situation better after making it much, much worse. “Can I help you with anything?”</p><p>Lena looked over at her more confused than before and totally lost, but didn’t answer her while green eyes moved back to the restless baby. “Shh, Liam. It’s okay. I will get you new clothes in a second.”</p><p>That’s when Kara realized the baby was naked except for a diaper and she assumed Lena had given up on trying to change him before. She was probably on the way to the kitchen to turn the kettle off – and really why was that still happening? – when she saw Supergirl standing on her balcony like a lunatic. In the kitchen, the kettle seemed to get louder by the second; in her arms, the baby too.</p><p>Making up her mind, Kara pointed at the locker again. “I can help.” And, since the woman said nothing for a very long time, she added: "Or I can leave."</p><p>Lena's head turned so she could stare at her in confusion. Her eyes lowered to the extended finger, then back at Supergirl’s face, then back at the locker, before the baby tried to kick her hand away and she snapped out of any trance she got in. She sighed, deep and tired before she approached the balcony door to slide it open.</p><p>Kara tried to hide the victory from her face when she gently pushed the door open and took a step inside, only to regret it instantly. Used diapers, she realized, were bombs and the thing wasn’t in the same room as her. It certainly felt like one and, although it had already exploded, looked more dangerous than any other thing she ever had to deal with before. Her sensible nose and her sensible ears weren’t made to be around a baby, she realized a second too late because now she was inside and she promised to help.</p><p>“What a terrible time to decide to make some tea,” Lena mumbled to herself but she also threw a side glance at Kara and the blonde smiled.</p><p>“I will turn it off, sorry.” She also apologized for standing on her property while waiting for a signal that having Supergirl walking inside her apartment would make the other woman uncomfortable. Well, she didn’t look exactly at ease, but Lena also didn’t complain when she made a quick run to turn off the stove.</p><p>“That’s fine. I won’t probably be able to drink it anyway.” Lena sighed, expert hands holding the baby against her chest. He seemed to calm down a little now that the insistent whistle of the kettle was gone and both adults were thankful for that. “I haven’t drink tea for a month now,” she added with a sigh that was somehow even more tired than before.</p><p>Kara tilted her head to the side, watching her carefully before she approached slowly so as not to scare the woman. The baby looked over his mother’s shoulder at her and opened a large smile, even though he was still sniffling a little. “Go make your tea,” she offered. “I can stay with him for a while.”</p><p>“No,” Lena shook her head. “I can’t ask you to...”</p><p>“That’s fine,” Kara smiled to the woman, trying to make her see that she wanted her to take up her offer. Again, not sure why. “We will be fine for a couple of minutes.”</p><p>“I need to put him to sleep,” the brunette commented with a frown. “He refused to do it before and then I had to change him. It’s already pretty late for him to be awake and he doesn’t even have his clothes on.”</p><p>“It’s okay,” Kara shrugged. “You can bring your tea back to his room. I wouldn’t trust me in your kitchen. My sister says I can’t make hot water.”</p><p>Despite the weird situation they found themselves in, thanks to Kara, Lena chuckled at her before looking down at the baby in her arms. She seemed to be debating something with herself before her shoulders dropped and she started making the way back to his room. Kara wasn’t sure if she should follow her or not, so she waited where she was while trying not to cringe at herself.</p><p>Way to go, Kara. Way to go. Not a complete psychopath, not at all. She almost wished someone else was there to punch some sense into her because that was just ridiculous.</p><p>Before she could dwell too much on her self-hate, Lena stepped back from the baby room holding a device in her hands. She was still looking behind her back, over her shoulder, to where Kara assumed the baby was because he was back at wailing and being loud.</p><p>Kara decided the woman needed a break because she looked a second away from having a mental breakdown right there in the middle of her apartment. So she approached her with a gentle smile until she was also looking inside the room. Liam was inside his crib, surrounded by pillows, finally using some clothes and fussing like crazy. From that close, Kara noticed for the first time how much shorter than her the woman was and she gulped when their eyes met.</p><p>“Don’t let him roll over,” Lena instructed firmly.</p><p>“Got it,” Kara nodded and smiled. “And, if he manages to roll out of the crib, I’m pretty sure I can catch him before anything bad happens.”</p><p>That didn’t seem to soothe the woman’s worries, not that Kara could blame her now that she looked at her own words. Lena frowned deeply and hesitated for almost an entire minute before taking a step back. “Right, well, don’t let it get to it.”</p><p>The blonde only nodded again, this time not trying to make any jokes at the worried mother, and Lena took another step back. Kara watched as the woman walked back to the end of the hallway, paused when she reached the small step, took a deep breath and squared her shoulders before walking away. The hero chuckled to herself as her blue eyes moved to watch the baby again.</p><p>“I understand why she wouldn’t want to leave you with me,” Kara commented in a low voice from her place leaning against the door before she started walking inside the room. It was easier to watch him if she was able to look at him. “I never stayed alone with a baby before.”</p><p>Baby Liam blinked at her, not understanding a single word she was saying, before his face became a grimace and he started squirming again. He didn’t cry, even though it looked like he was about to, but Kara got worried all the same. Lena trusted her with her son and she couldn’t let the woman down by letting him cry again. Kara pulled back the memories from weeks later as she picked the boy up, holding him in her arms as gently as she could. His head rested on her forearm and she pulled his body closer to her so he would feel safer.</p><p>“You don’t know that, because you don’t know many things now, but my sister wants to be a mom too.” Kara smiled at him when she noticed he was watching her with eager green eyes. “I hope she will be able to do that soon because she really, really, wants it. So I guess I shouldn’t tell her I’m working as a nanny now, huh?” She chuckled again, moving him up and down along with her body. “Your name is very nice, by the way. My sister’s name is Alex. Well, that’s short for Alexandra, actually.” The baby blinked again and, on the third time, his eyes didn’t open again. “Your name is already very short, so I don’t know if we can think of a nickname for you.”</p><p>Liam yawned, big and messy, drool going everywhere. Kara cleaned it with the sleeve of her suit, not bothered by it, as she smiled down at him. “Maybe Lee? Do you have a second name?” Not surprisingly, she didn’t get an answer out of him, but he apparently was also out, sleeping in her arms after a long night of cries and wailings. “That’s okay, we can talk another time, I guess.”</p><p>Unknown to her, Lena had returned to the room during their one-sided conversation and was now leaning against the door like that time she walked on Supergirl holding Liam. The situation would be very similar if it wasn’t for the cup of tea in her hands or the way Kara was holding her son, but it was as surreal as the first time. Lena still had no idea what to think about Supergirl coming over her house to ‘help’ her.</p><p>Luthors and Supers had hated each other for over a decade now, thanks to her brother and Superman, but it was a very serious feud. To have Supergirl not only coming inside her house but also holding her son could bring a quite... uneasy feeling. Or, at least, it should because Lena wasn’t genuinely worried about it. The alien seemed harmless enough or, at the very least, more interested in making Liam stop crying than anything else – which she could definitely relate to. Indeed, Supergirl’s face held such a soft stance when she looked down at the baby that Lena couldn’t bring herself to think the hero wished him any bad things.</p><p>Kara was telling Liam the story about the alien cat she had to save from a tree, even if he couldn’t hear her anymore, when Lena spoke again. “Keller, that’s his middle name.”</p><p>The blonde blinked when she looked up at her. “Keller? It has a nice ring to it.”</p><p>Lena smiled. “It’s Irish. Liam means determined guardian, while Keller is a little companion.”</p><p>Kara looked back at the boy in her arms, contemplating the name and trying to connect it with the baby before she smiled brightly. “I can see it. I mean, he <em>is</em> little.”</p><p>At that, Lena chuckled. “For now,” she huffed. “But he’s already growing too fast. I mean, two weeks ago he wasn’t trying to kick me away while I changed him.”</p><p>“Maybe he was trying to protect you from the bomb he made like the guardian he is.”</p><p>It wasn’t supposed to be that funny, it was more of a statement than anything else, but that made Lena laugh so carelessly that she had to muffle her noises with her hand, pressing it against her mouth in an attempt not to wake up the baby. God knows he could become the incarnation of the devil when his sleep was disturbed by anything. Kara’s own face lighted with a large smile when she saw the other woman trying to hold up a big laugh, a feeling of being proud of herself growing inside her chest and making her feel warm because, damn, she made the woman laugh. And it was the most amazing sound she had ever heard, behind only from two heartbeats that seemed to call to her every day.</p><p>“My little guardian, indeed,” Lena agreed finally, the ends of her laugh still lingering in the air as Supergirl watched from across the room with bright blue eyes and a glint in her eyes that was almost too much. “May I ask you what are you doing here?”</p><p>All joy left Kara’s face when trepidation started running down her body. She didn’t have an excuse, neither did she have a plausible reason and that would only make things worse if she tried to explain to the woman something she couldn’t even explain to herself. Instead, she sighed deeply.</p><p>“I was passing by and heard the commotion.”</p><p>Lena nodded along with her explanation, and, if she didn’t buy it and was just making her think she did, Kara didn’t mind. Because that was never going to happen again and there was no reason to worry about it. After that night, Kara would fly away and never come back. She would push those creepy actions to the side and start concentrating on what really mattered – keeping National City safe.</p><p>Except that, of course, Kara did come back.</p><p>She went back every night, as usual. Every night she would sit on her spot and listen until something got the better of her and she would land on the balcony. She did acquire the habit of asking for permission though, which was a welcome change because now she didn't have to feel like a stalker anymore or scare the living shit out of their inhabitants. Usually, she would tap on the glass and Lena would open the door for her, either holding little Liam in her arms or watching him in the carrier with eager eyes.</p><p>They fell into a routine that was far too weird to try and make sense out of it. Lena never questioned why Supergirl would drop by her apartment every night and, in return, Kara wouldn't ask her why she let her in in the first place. None of them had answers for that, anyway.</p><p>A week into their new schedule, there was a fire downtown, a big one, and, for the first time ever, Kara hesitated before flying to help the fire department. Liam was having one of the nights where nothing seemed to soothe him and Lena hadn't been able to drink her tea yet, but Kara could hear sirens going off and her cellphone vibrating on her pocket, so she finally relented and went. With a frown and hands closed in tight fists, she watched both of them from the balcony door for probably longer than anyone should do. Lena was hugging the baby against her chest, swinging him around while talking lowly at him, and something inside Kara seemed to itch for her to stay, to ignore everything and just <em>stay.</em></p><p>Afterward, after the fire was gone and everyone was safe, Alex confronted her in front of a flaming pile of wood from the construction. Her sister was using her 'you're in trouble' stance, hands on her hips, right foot slightly closer to her, arched eyebrows, and set jaw. If Kara wasn't so eager to leave, she would have given her credits for scaring an indestructible alien.</p><p>"What took you so long? According to your route, you should have been two blocks from here."</p><p>Kara shrugged, not sure how to reply to that. No one was dead but the building definitely couldn't be saved after so much damage in the structure. If she hadn't taken twelve minutes to leave and get there, they could have maybe saved it. If she got out a minute later, someone could have died.</p><p>"Yes, well, I decided to change routes," Kara replied.</p><p>"Today or like forever?" The sharp in her voice faltered for a second, not expecting that answer from the hero.</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>Alex clicked her tongue once. "Because we need to know where you are while you do your patrols."</p><p>"If I remember right, you told me those patrols were a joke. You said there was no reason for me to do it, so why do you care out of sudden?" She had to appeal to her defense mode if she wanted to get out of the hole she was digging to herself.</p><p>"Supergirl," Alex started, taking one step closer and ducking her head for a second to collect her thoughts, "is there a reason why you don't want to tell me where you were?"</p><p>It wasn't a flawlessly plan since the beginning, admittedly. Her sister knew her better than anyone else, on Earth or out of it, so of curse Alex would read right through her. It was stupid to think she would be able to hide her little escapades for two long but she also wasn't ready to explain what the hell she had been doing every night for the past month.</p><p>"Kara," Alex lowered her voice after throwing a look around to make sure there was no one else in a close hearing range. "Is everything okay?"</p><p>Kara gulped as guilty rose from her deep inside her, bringing a bitter taste into her mouth. Alex was worried about her safety because she had no idea Kara had been stalking Lena Luthor. Her sister would flip a table if she ever found out the truth and, body of steel or not, Kara was scared of the redhead.</p><p>"Yes, everything is fine." The hero nodded, a bit too fast, and tried to smile. She was sure it looked more like a grimace, but she didn't have enough time to try again. Even more because thirty blocks away she could hear a baby crying and two unsteady heartbeats and she really, truly, didn't have time to convince Alex nothing was going on. "I just decided to change routes. I will drop by the DEO tomorrow to tell you about it, okay? Do you still need me?"</p><p>"Kara..."</p><p>"I promise!" Kara took a step back to find enough room to take flight.</p><p>"Were you watching the dogs in the park again?" Alex suddenly asked and it was like a light had just popped into her sister's head.</p><p>Kara was fast to jump right into that weak explanation - that seemingly her sister though was plausible - nodding eagerly and giving Alex some awkward thumbs up. "You got me! My bad! I have to go back if I want to see that cute poodle again. Bye!"</p><p>She didn't have to turn around to know her sister was staring at her fading form, neither she needed J'onn powers to know Alex didn't entirely believe her either. Kara would deal with that later, she decided. Maybe tell the truth or take a photo of a random poodle to show Alex. Anyway, later.</p><p>Lena and Liam, first.</p><p>The balcony door was already open and Kara tried to pull back the memory from when she left - did she closed it behind her like she thought she did? - but she couldn't be sure. She was too stressed at the time, so maybe she did leave it like that. Kara closed it then, making a mental note to never leave it open again in case another flying creature decided to investigate the area. The living room was empty but she had no problem finding both occupants at the baby room.</p><p>Lena was still rocking Liam in her arms, looking not only exhausted but also a step away from collapsing as well. Kara couldn't even imagine how hard it must be to stay all day with a baby and dedicating every second to them, although she had a fraction of that feeling every night now. Sometimes it could be the most amazing thing, as when little Liam smiled or gurgled a noise that assembled a laugh, but sometimes it could be a frustrating nightmare, with the cries and squirming around.</p><p>Keeping that in mind, Kara approached the woman with a gentle smile. Lena glanced back at her with a tired grin that barely reached her eyes. The relief that glinted in green orbs couldn't be ignored either and the blonde felt a little better for her creepy actions. She wasn’t unwanted, Lena was relieved she was there. The hero placed a hand on the baby's back and another one in Lena's shoulder.</p><p>"Here, let me hold him for a second. You must be tired."</p><p>If that request had happened a week before, Lena would have hesitated or given her a suspicious glare. Those unsettling feelings, by the looks of it, had vanished after the crazy week they had together because Lena hand her the baby without a second thought, but with a sigh as they gently passed the baby between them. Liam cried louder because of the movements startling his little body but Kara kept her ground, ignoring how her ears felt like they were about to explode.</p><p>"Shh," she cooed, the same way she had seen Lena doing before. "Hey, it's okay, buddy." He kept crying with no indication he was anywhere near stopping, so Kara sighed and turned her head to look at the other woman. "Go on, make you some tea. We will be here for a while, apparently."</p><p>Lena didn't question why 'we' was used in that sentence. She didn't question why Supergirl was holding her son. She didn't ask <em>why</em> and Kara tried not to think about it either. That's how they were operating in those late nights meetings.</p><p>Instead, Lena nodded, a hand resting on Liam's head in a soft caress, before she turned around to go to the kitchen to put some water to boil. She learned her lesson and decided to buy an electrical kettle, but she still had to set things for her perfect tea. Kara heard as Lena moved around her kitchen, opening and closing cabinets, and moving things around, and she knew she would be gone for a while.</p><p>"What's bothering you, little guy?" Kara whispered when her eyes moved back to bright green ones. His hair had grown since his birth, a healthy tuff of black hair was brushed to the side, and it made her smile to the cuteness of it all. Despite the loud cries. "Can you tell me what is it?"</p><p>Liam looked at her for a long second before screaming a very loud, very long cry. Kara winced, barely being able to keep her stance, before she decided she should sit down. Her head was pounding, her ears were ringing and Liam wasn't looking like he was anywhere near giving her a break, so she needed to sit. The armchair was even more comfortable than it looked and Kara couldn't help the deep sigh when her back rested on the soft cushions.</p><p>"Rao, I need one of these in my living room," she commented with a groan as she moved Liam around to make things easier for both. Kara let him move alone for a few seconds until she understood what he wanted, then settled him against her chest - chest to chest and his cheek on her shoulder, his little feet kicking her stomach. "You want to stand? Is that it? Well, you're not big enough to stand yet."</p><p>Liam wailed again, sniffled and his fists grabbed her cape in a grip that would make Kal jealous. Kara chuckled, turning her head the best she could to watch him, but let him fumble around with her suit since he wouldn't be able to ruin it.</p><p>"I read a few things online, so maybe you have colics. Standing make it better, buddy?" The boy didn't answer, obviously, but his cries started to subside slowly. "I had a very busy night too," Kara took a deep breath, letting the growing silence take over.</p><p>She rested her head back on the armchair and looked up at the ceiling. The ceiling, unlike the walls, was painted in a faint blue with clouds all over and Kara thought she never saw something as beautiful as that baby room - maybe his mother and himself, but she was not allowing her mind to go there.</p><p>"I had to put down a fire, you know," she continued in a low voice as Liam's kicks also started to subside. "I'm a little tired, now that I think about it. I had to use my freezing breath. Maybe I will show you one day. Would you like that, LK?"</p><p>That was another new development. Kara came up with thousand of nicknames for Liam - from buddy to little prince - but his favorite one appeared to be LK. Kara made sure that Lena wouldn't hear her calling him like that, afraid that it would be maybe too personal, but Liam always smiled when she did so. She didn't know if the way she said it was funny at him, but it didn't matter either.</p><p>On her shoulder, Liam yawned and Kara felt the beginning of her own yawn too. She tried to fight it, gritting her teeth and setting her jaw, but it was stronger than her and she soon joined him.</p><p>"You're gonna make me sleep, LK."</p><p>His only answer was another yawn and their eyes fell closed almost at the same time. A minute later, they were both sleeping and that's how Lena found them when she returned to the room holding two tea mugs.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kara: It isn't invasion if I'm invited in<br/>Alex: And were you invited in?<br/>Kara:... Not the point.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Something wrong or totally right</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Once again, thank you so much for all your support, guys! Hope you keep enjoying this!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Good morning."</p><p>Kara noticed how Lena didn't even blink an eye when National City's resident hero walked inside her kitchen that early in the morning. Which told her a lot about their dynamics, to be fair, but also made her feel a bit warmer inside.</p><p>She didn't know what she was expecting when she woke up this morning in that ridiculously comfortable armchair with a soft blanket draped on top of her but she knew what she wanted because the smell coming from the kitchen was just yummy. So Kara got up, folded the blanket and placed it perfectly on top of the cushions, then headed for the kitchen, where she could hear things being fried, pans knocking over, and two heartbeats working on sync.</p><p>What she didn't expect was to see Lena using what had to be the most comfortable sweatpants ever and an oversized Oxford t-shirt while she used a spatula to poke something in the frying pan. Baby Liam was close to her, lying happily in the carrier while sucking on his pacifier and blinking his green eyes at an elephant she placed right on top of him to serve as a distraction. Kara almost chuckled to the image of the boy following the toy every time a gush of wind pushed it around because he had finally learned he couldn't reach it with his short arms.</p><p>"Good morning," Lena replied, pulling her away from her thoughts.</p><p>Kara glanced back at the woman in time to see her blinding smile over her shoulder before Lena looked back at the pan. The hero tried not to falter her step, although her heart was beating way too fast to such an early hour of the day. Kara cleared her throat, not sure what to do with herself now that she invaded breakfast in family, and kicked her toes into the floor while thinking about what to do.</p><p>"I'm, huh-" she stopped, re-think, frowned, and crossed her arms. Her eyes refused to get higher than Lena's calves, too embarrassed, too shameful to do more than that. “I’m sorry that I slept here,” Kara pointed a finger over her shoulder and sighed. “I guess I was more tired than I thought I was.”</p><p>"It's okay," the brunette replied in a gentle tone that was barely above a whisper. "I suppose you were tired after putting the fire down. They're reporting it on the news, it seemed big."</p><p>Kara raised her hand to scratch the back of her neck. Her cheeks felt too hot and she still couldn't bring herself to look up. "Yeah, a little bit, I guess. I'm still sorry for sleeping in your house, though."</p><p>Her eyes finally rose when she heard Lena moving around instead of answering her. The woman had turned off the stove and was walking around with the pan in her hand to reach a plate Kara hadn't noticed before - which was crazy because Kara always knew where food was located. She dropped a warm pancake on top of a small pile that was already in the counter, then put the pan in the sink and moved to grab two cups from the top counter. The shirt was large enough that there was no skin exposed, but Kara gulped all the same when the shorter woman had to lean on her tiptoes to reach the top shelf. Kara shred her eyes away from the perfect, round, firm... No, she wasn't going to go there. Focus on the baby and his baby face and not in his mother, for Rao's sake.</p><p>"Like I said," Lena's voice pulled her back and the hero almost jumped throughout the roof, "it's fine. I made some pancakes if you wish to stay for breakfast."</p><p>The brunette was now facing her again, holding two matching cups and offering her a small grin that looked honest enough. The way she was looking at Kara, with soft eyes and a softer smile, and the fact that she still hadn't kicked her out, or called the cops, or screamed for her dear life, made Kara realize that Lena wasn't bothered by her presence. Maybe not completely comfortable yet, not that it was shocking, but fine with it.</p><p>So Kara too a deep breath, happily receiving the delicious smell of still warm pancakes, before she let her shoulders drop with a large smile. "Well, I'm a sucker for pancakes, so..."</p><p>The Luthor woman nodded, her smile getting a bit brighter as her head ducked for a brief second before she started making her way to the table. "Take a seat then." Lena placed the cups on opposite sides of the table but not in the heads, and turned to grab a juice box from the fridge.</p><p>Kara watched her for a while, not sure if she should help her or not but decided it would be better to stay out of the way. She didn't know where things were, after all. So she set quietly as she tried not to disturb the welcome morning silence, and waited. Plates, forks, knives, napkins, and the stack of pancakes made their way to the table one by one, and then Lena was sitting across from her in an angle that would allow her to keep an eye on Liam.</p><p>"I didn't picture you as a juice person," Kara dumbly said in between the first bites of her pancakes and immediately wanted to hit her own head against the table. She was usually so good at doing small talk, why couldn't she do the same around Lena?</p><p>The woman, on the other hand, didn't seem bothered by her comment. She shrugged, cutting her pancakes in small bites. Kara noticed she still hadn't eaten any, she was just cutting them into smaller pieces, and the hero wondered if she was more nervous than she was letting her see. "I usually drink coffee but I had to cut it for now."</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"Breastfeeding."</p><p>"Oh." Again, Kara had no clue why her brain seemed to shut down around the youngest of the Luthors. What was her problem? Rao! The baby was literally in front of her, the same baby she saw coming out of that very same woman, and she couldn’t connect the dots by herself?</p><p>Lena looked up with a tiny smirk like she just knew what Kara was thinking and her fork raised slowly to bring a piece of pancake into her mouth. Green eyes studied the hero while she chewed, searching for something that Kara was truly scared she would find. Under her eager glance, Kara felt in trance. She couldn't move, or think, or breathe, and she was starting to think she would be the first Kryptonian in history to have a stroke when Lena finally blinked and looked away at Liam, who started fussing in his carrier.</p><p>Kara took a large breath then, filling her lungs with very needed air. It was made in such a rush that it was probably loud enough that Lena would take notice but thankfully the brunette was busy with her son. So Kara pushed the rest of her pancake inside her mouth, not bothered that it was almost all of it and that it stuffed her cheeks like a squirrel because she needed something to keep herself occupied. Chewing, and suffering to do so, the blonde watched as Lena used a napkin to clean the corners of her mouth before getting up to walk toward Liam. It was amazing how she took a look at him and just knew what the problem was, Kara thought in awe because the woman simply turned around and walked to the living room to retrieve another teddy bear. Kara blushed again when she recognized the white dog with the black eye and red cape but didn't say a thing while Lena placed it on the baby's arms so he could do his best to hold it.</p><p>"He loves it," Lena commented after she was sitting again. "I don't let him sleep with it, but he always has it during the day."</p><p>The hero nodded, not sure how to address the fact that she gave an unknown baby a gift, but her chest felt warmer now that she knew he liked it. "Well, I love these pancakes," she said instead.</p><p>"Thank you," Lena chuckled softly at that, then took another bite while staring at her plate.</p><p>Kara almost chocked when she realized Lena was doing that because she was blushing. Rao has mercy of her poor soul because she couldn't bring herself to stop staring at the faint pink on the woman's cheeks.</p><p>"Yes, well-" Kara cleared her throat, the fork in her hand doing a weird circle in the air while she tried to find words again. "Thank you for letting me stay and for breakfast. I should... I should get going. I don't want to be on your way."</p><p>Lena walked her to the balcony door, which was a new development in their situation. She was about to simply fly away when a hand reached out to touch her forearm. Kara turned around a little startled by the touch, eyes wide and mouth hanging open, but Lena was staring up at her with the same softness from before and she obliged her body to relax and listen.</p><p>“It was you, right?” The hero tilted her head to the side, fairly confused, and Lena looked down when the ghost of a flush started to rise on her cheeks again. “The dog, I mean, and the flowers. At the hospital.”</p><p>The red in her cape had nothing on the blush that painted her cheeks and Kara had to look away so she wouldn’t do something stupid – like let the way Lena looked at her make her feel things she wasn’t supposed to feel. “I, uh, well actually, I was passing by this store and I saw, huh, I saw it.” She didn’t explain what ‘it’ was, the flowers or the dog but she wasn’t going to provide the information willingly either. It was embarrassing enough when she was the only one who knew, she didn’t need to add anyone else in the equation.</p><p>Bright, big, expressive green eyes swept through her face, studying and memorizing every inch of her skin, until their eyes locked and then Lena nodded slowly, a blinding smile curling her lips up. “I notice them when you when I got up to use the bathroom but I wasn’t sure... Thank you, Supergirl. As I said, he loves it.” Kara heard a chuckle when she ducked her head so her hair could serve as a veil to hide her flushed cheeks. “And I loved the flowers as well.”</p><p>Kara’s hand moved without her acknowledge to fiddle with her non-existing glasses and she almost slapped her own forehead when her thumb hit the corner of her eye. She really needed to work with her nervous habits in her different personalities because it was ridiculous to reach for glasses that weren’t there or to try to catch the ends of a cape that wasn’t tied around her shoulders. Masking her slip by scratching her cheek, the blonde tried to look as aloof as she could while shrugging.</p><p>“That was nothing.”</p><p>Lena squeezed her arm and meeting her eyes became unavoidable – which was a serious problem because Kara might be an alien but she needed to breathe and she couldn’t when the woman was looking straight at her. “Maybe for you.” Another squeeze and then they weren’t touching anymore. Kara almost, <em>almost</em>, followed when the other woman took a step back but she was able to hold herself by crossing her arms. “But, for us, it meant a lot, so thank you.”</p><p>“It was just flowers,” Kara shook her head once.</p><p>“Maybe for you,” Lena repeated, and something in the way her eyes shined made the blonde hold back any reply she might think of. If she could think, that is.</p><p>Since she couldn’t answer – or think, or breath, or function – Kara only tilted her head in a departure manner and took flight before she could find another reason to stay. So she flew and flew and flew until she saw the window of her apartment. If she wasn’t so busy trying not to think about Lena and the way her eyes remembered her of beautiful emeralds, or how her smile took her breath away, and what it all meant, she might have noticed her apartment wasn’t empty before she almost literally strumbled upon Alex.</p><p>“Rao!”</p><p>“Fuck, Kara!”</p><p>The blonde blinked and gaped but Alex followed her when she tried to back away, so she stuffed her chest and placed both hands on her waist. “Alex, watcha’ doing?”</p><p>“I don’t know, you tell me.” Alex narrowed her eyes at her. “I came here after you left and you weren’t home.”</p><p>Oh, shit.</p><p>“So I decided to wait a while because you think I don’t know you fly in the middle of the night to buy ice cream but you still didn’t show up.”</p><p>Oh, stupid shit.</p><p>“And then hours went by and I decided to go home, thinking I would come back in the morning and we would talk. But guess what?”</p><p>Oh, crap stupid shit.</p><p>“You weren’t here. So I thought you might have already left but I called you and you didn’t pick up. I waited for almost an hour for you to get back and I was just leaving when you came by the window.”</p><p>Oh, shitting crap stupid shit.</p><p>“I could ask you why you were on patrol so early in the morning but you still smell like smoke and you look like I just caught you with a lover in bed.”</p><p>“Shit.”</p><p>Alex arched one eyebrow and paused for a few seconds, then she scoffed and crossed her arms. “Where were you, Kara? And don’t you dare lie because I have the authorization to put a tracker on you if I judge necessary.”</p><p>“I... was out,” Kara shrugged, moved her left foot in a complete circle, and shrugged again.</p><p>“Are you seeing someone?” her sister asked suddenly and watched when blue eyes went wide in shock.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Well, you’re hiding something from me. Clearly. And you just sneaked inside your own house in the early hours of the morning. Not to mention you just became a tomato when I said that.”</p><p>The blonde shook her head so fast that her blonde hair became a blur. “No! I’m not... I’m not seeing anyone!”</p><p>“Okay, so what is it?”</p><p>Kara took a break to evaluate the situation then. Alex would know if she lied and she wouldn’t rest until she got the truth out of her but she also didn’t want to give her the truth. There was maybe one person other than Kal who had such a strong beef against the Luthors and that person was Alex. Her sister would never understand why she was still seeing Lena, spending time with her and her son, and even spending the night at her house. Hell would break loose, for sure.</p><p>Still, Alex was probably the only other person who could listen to her and understand how she was feeling. She could maybe even give her a reason why. She could maybe offer her a hug and scream at her later but, at the same time, Alex was the most important person in the world to Kara and she would never take it for granted.</p><p>“I spent the night at Lena’s house.”</p><p>“Lena?” Alex frowned, clearly not following her line of thought. “Who’s Le – Oh.”</p><p>“Yes.” The hero slowly nodded, trying to measure how mad Alex was.</p><p>“Did she... Did something happen that you had to... go save her?” The redhead was so utterly confused that Kara could have made fun of her if the circumstances were different.</p><p>“No.” She now shook her head.</p><p>“So why were you... there?”</p><p>Kara took a deep breath, so deep that her lungs were burning and her throat closed almost hurtfully before she released it in one loud huff. “I don’t know.”</p><p>Disarmed and confused, Alex only blinked at her. “You don’t... know?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” she repeated.</p><p>Alex flicked her tongue over her bottom lip, uncrossed and crossed her arms, changed her weight from one foot to the other, tilted her head, frowned, and then clicked her tongue. “You’re making no sense.”</p><p>“Alex,” Kara sighed, “I think there’s something wrong with me.”</p><p>As expected, Alex was not happy to hear the news. She also did not find her joke to be amusing. Once Kara was done talking where she spent the night at, her sister stared at her for so long and with so much intensity that she truly wondered if she would combust into flames right on the spot.</p><p>Then, Alex started talking. And although her sister was usually a person of few words, she had quite a lot to say to her while pacing around in her living room.</p><p>"When you said you were putting a tracker on me, I thought you were joking."</p><p>And she was, Kara thought to herself. She hoped so, at least, that her sister wasn’t going to keep her threat of calling J’onn and asking for a tracker after she was done telling the story of where she had been going for the last month. She didn’t tell Alex everything - somethings just felt too weird to even voice it - but she covered the basics, and although her sister was quiet during her entire explanation, she seemed to be very vocal now that the initial shock was gone.</p><p>The redhead paced around her living room for a while, arms crossed and furrowed brows. Then she walked to the kitchen to grab one of the beers she left in Kara’s fridge for sisters’ night, walked back to the living room, stared Kara up and down, drank half of her beer, opened her mouth, closed it and paced for a while longer. After that, she picked her phone and mumbled something about getting the damn tracker, which Kara assumed was just a joke, but Alex looked very close to doing exactly that for her liking.</p><p>"I was,” her sister scoffed and moved her hips back and forth like she wanted to start walking again, “but that was before I found out you had been canoodling with a Luthor."</p><p>The grimace that covered Kara’s face was automatic and there was nothing she could do to stop it. "I'm not canoodling with anyone."</p><p>"I have no idea what you're doing but anything you tell me will sound crazy." Alex waved her hands around like she was trying to show something that wasn’t there and Kara had time to think how funny the image of them must have looked at that moment. Alex, standing tall and proud with both hands on her hips, staring down at her, sitting quiet and nervously at the couch.</p><p>"I know." Truly ashamed, Kara ducked her head, her fingers fiddling into her lap.</p><p>"So why are you doing this?!” Her sister demanded an explanation, the desperate tone followed by some hand gestures that almost made the blonde dizzy. “Kara, you just spent the night at her house! Alone! And you didn't tell anyone! What if something happened to you?"</p><p>She knew Alex would freak out and she had anticipated most of their argument so she could prepare when it actually happened but the despair in her face was tangible and her voice was heavy with urgency. For Kara, who had spent the last month sharing crazy night hours with the woman, it was an unjustified feeling to have. Lena wasn’t a threat – not at her, at least – and she had never, not even once, gave Kara nay reasons to doubt her.</p><p>"Lena wouldn't hurt me," she said then, followed by a soft half-smile.</p><p>"She <em>is</em> a Luthor," Alex stated, one eyebrow slowly rising in challenge, daring Kara to tell her otherwise.</p><p>Which, of course, she did. "She is <em>not</em> her brother, okay? Besides, stop thinking this is an elaborate plan to get me. She didn't ask me to be there, she didn't call and asked me to go." Frustrated, Kara ran a hand down her hair and huffed a deep breath.</p><p>"So why did you go?” Alex scoffed. “You told me you're spending every night at her house!"</p><p>"No, I just spent <em>last</em> night in her house,” the blonde corrected. She raised one finger to stop Alex from interrupting her and offered a triumphant smile with her fast reply. “The other days I left pretty soon and the first nights she didn't even see me! Well, except for that other time."</p><p>"See you? Kara, you're <em>stalking</em> her!"</p><p>Kara’s face twisted into a grimace as a light blush raised from her chest. "Well, you didn't have to say it like that."</p><p>"How else I'm supposed to say it?” the agent crossed her arms again and one foot started hitting the floor impatiently. She was frustrated, Kara was frustrated, the entire situation was very frustrating. “You go to her house and you watch her without her knowing! That's the definition of stalking."</p><p>"Alex... It's not like that."</p><p>"You have to explain to me then, Kara, because I have no idea what you're thinking. You fly to Lena <em>Luthor's</em> house and you watch her for weeks, then you decide to go inside and help her take care of her son, then you spent the night with them. You spent the night at <em>Lex</em> <em>Luthor’s</em> sister's house.” Alex made a pause to let her words sink in but her face was starting to get red as well and Kara recognized a mad Alex when she was facing one. “Do you have any idea how <em>dangerous</em> that is?"</p><p>Kara tried not to roll her eyes. Instead, she clasped her hands in front of her body, resting her forearms on her knees, and sighed. "Lex is in jail, in case you forgot. Kal put him there without a ticket back."</p><p>The redhead shook her head almost sadly as though she knew something Kara didn’t and she wasn’t going to share. "I'm not talking only about him. I'm talking Lillian Luthor, and Cadmus, and everything in between."</p><p>Okay, that was fair. Alex had a point. Lillian Luthor was in a mission to end her and every alien that resides on Earth – and in the entire Universe, if she could have her way – and Cadmus was truly a pain in her ass. They were terrorists going after every alien and they were truly living in a state of war against them, so yes, maybe going anywhere near anyone who could have anything related to it was a very, very terrible idea. Added to the fact that they had reasons to believe Lillian was their leader now, and that she’s Lena’s mother and Liam’s grandmother, didn’t paint a better image to her situation.</p><p>"I can take care of myself," Kara finally mumbled.</p><p>Alex nodded a couple of times, eyes eagerly watching how her sister’s face twisted and turned. "What about Lena?"</p><p>Shock. "What?"</p><p>Alex tilted her head to the side, keeping her stance even when Kara squirmed under it. "What if Lillian finds out about these little adventures of yours and decides that she can't have her daughter canoodling with Superman's cousin?"</p><p>Kara’s face became so red and so suddenly that, for a brief second, Alex actually thought she might pass out. "It's not canoodling."</p><p>"So what the hell is it?!"</p><p>Her sister clearly wanted an answer. A very good one, by the looks of it, something that would truly explain why on Earth and Krypton, and every other planet on every other Universe, Kara was acting the way she was. There was little she could say that wouldn’t make it look like... well, the way it was looking like. Like she was obsessed with Lena. That wasn’t it! She just had no idea how to explain what was going on with her because she also had no idea what was going on with her!</p><p>"... I don't know, Alex. I truly don't know. It's like... it's like something is pulling me closer, something telling me to stay around."</p><p>Alex huffed loud and angrily, throwing her hands up in despair. "Kara, you have a <em>crush</em>,” she declared quite out of patience. “That's <em>fine</em>. I mean, remember in high school when you had a crush on that junior? You did follow them around for a few weeks. It's okay to admit you have a crush on her. I never met her but I saw some pics and she looks hot, so..."</p><p>Kara ran both hands on her face, taking a huge intake of breath like it would help put her thoughts in the right place. "It's not that, Alex. It's not a crush, it's... it's much more than that."</p><p>"If you say love at first sight, I swear to God and Rao..."</p><p>"Can you stop trying to guess what's going on inside my head?" she interrupted outraged by the suggestion her sister had just made.</p><p>In response, Alex raised both eyebrows and took a step back. "Well, I have to! You're making no sense."</p><p>The blonde ducked her head with a sigh, her shoulders dropping and all fire leaving her being as fatigue started taking over. She had a very nice night of sleep, truth be told, even if she did sleep in an armchair and not in a bed. She also had no idea when Lena found her and how long she held Liam in her arms but comfort wasn’t a problem for her because it was one of the best nights of sleep she had in months. Even so, she felt tired. Emotionally tired, exhausted with that conversation, tired of trying to figure things out.</p><p>What was the problem with just letting life be? Krypton had a very nice philosophy that said everything would solve out in the end. People on Earth really should start thinking like that more because thinking too hard made her head hurt.</p><p>"I like spending time with Lena and the baby, okay? Isn't that enough?" Kara asked with another sigh. "Alex, I was there when Lena gave birth. I don't know, maybe my head just... mixed things up."</p><p>Alex didn’t answer right away. Her eyes moved through Kara’s face a couple of times before a sigh of her own slipped past her lips. "... I just want you to be happy, Kara. If being a stalker creep makes you happy, as long as <em>no one</em> gets hurt and <em>everyone</em> is consenting, so be it. Go ahead, break inside the poor woman's house if she doesn't mind. But I mean it, only if she doesn’t mind. Just be careful, Kara. This entire thing has the potential to blow in your face real bad."</p><p>"I know,” the blonde nodded. “And I promise I will start my patrols again."</p><p>Alex scoffed and waved one hand dismissively. "Ah, who cares? We will call you if you're needed."</p><p>"Thank you, Alex."</p><p>Kara was already slipping out of her suit and getting ready to jump in the shower when she heard Alex mumbling to herself from the living room, "maybe a baby fever?"</p><p>“Rao, no!”</p><p>Alex’s words, not surprisingly and probably what her sister wanted, stuck with her for the rest of the day. She was right at a few things, at the very least. It was dangerous to keep those encounters happening and not only for her. Kara couldn’t be the judge of other family’s dynamics but she doubted Lillian Luthor would be happy to know her daughter was spending time with a Super.</p><p>And she knew the older Luthor enough to know she would have no problem going through anyone and anything to get what she wanted, although Kara wasn’t sure how that changed now that Lex was in jail. They weren’t exactly close before, neither did they worked together – as far as anyone knew – but Lillian also seemed to have gone really quiet since her older son was sent to jail for his crimes. She laid low, no one has heard of her, or Cadmus, for quite some time, which was more enervating than the other way around.</p><p>No one liked it when a Luthor went quiet. Nothing good came from it. Being quiet meant they were plotting and their plots always meant disaster.</p><p>Kara wondered for a brief second, while she pretended to pay attention to the meeting going on around her, if Lillian knew. If, for a chance, the Luthor matriarch knew that Kara was paying visits to her daughter every night. Or if, perhaps, she already knew how much Lena and Liam meant to her.</p><p>If so, if Lillian got wind of what was going on, there was no doubt in her mind that her life was in danger. Not complete news when it comes to her long relationship with Lillian and Lex but this time she wasn’t the only one in line. Now that they knew her human name – and Kal still had to explain that to her because she still didn’t understand that part – everyone she knew was at risk. Alex, Eliza, J’onn, James, and, by extension, Lena and Liam.</p><p>Lillian wouldn’t go after her own family though, would she?</p><p>When Kal caught Lex and sent him to trial, Lillian hired the best lawyers for him and testified on his defense, so maybe family meant something for her. However, when she remembered the mysterious woman’s words at the hospital – now she knew her name was Sam - it didn’t look like it. From the little she got, Lillian hated Lena just as much as the younger woman hated her.</p><p>Whatever this family beef was, it wasn’t something Kara should be worried about. Alex already put a lot of worries inside her head for her to find even more things to think about.</p><p>Her sister was a sneaky jerk.</p><p>For now, Kara decided while taking flight, she would carefully evaluate the situation one day at a time.</p><p>And the days melted into weeks before she even realized it.</p><p>"Isn't that uniform uncomfortable?"</p><p>Kara looked down at her own body and, for a second, she seemed surprised to see the blue suit clinging into her skin. "Uh? Oh, no. It's pretty nice and soft."</p><p>Lena arched one perfectly done eyebrow and Kara tried really, really, really hard not to look down at the smirk on her lips. "Yes? Doesn't look like it. Well, I can still offer you something to wear if you wish to change anyway."</p><p>"Oh," the blonde breathed out and blinked slowly. Her brain was truly going to shut down again, huh?</p><p>"You don't have to, of course,” Lena added quickly when the hero said nothing else. “I get that this whole thing is part of you but you're here helping me put my son to sleep and I don't want you to be uncomfortable."</p><p>Kara still didn’t answer it. Instead, she took a minute to look down at the baby in her arms so she had something else to think about. Liam had his eyes closed, sucking his pacifier happily, one of his little hands closed around the ends of her red cape. She had jumped in to help soothe him right after Lena fed him and the boy gladly took the opportunity to snuggle into her arms.</p><p>"... I appreciate it but I don't think that's a good idea."</p><p>Lena’s eyes fell to the ground and she tilted her head, trying to hide the disappointment on her face. "Of course. I'm sorry."</p><p>"No, it's fine. It's just...” Kara gulped, trying to find the right words to say. She had been doing that a lot lately, go figure. “I have a life outside this and I don't want to... ruin anything.”</p><p>The shorter woman nodded and took time from their conversation to prepare Liam’s crib since the boy seemed a second away from falling asleep. She fluffed the blankets, arranged the small pillow, and took the chance to ask something she was dying to know. "So... you live a normal human life?"</p><p>Kara shrugged the best she could with a baby in her arms. "As normal as it can be to someone who can rip doors out of frames."</p><p>"Oh,” Lena’s voice was tight and she had a frown when she turned around to take the boy from the hero’s arms. "I'm sorry, you probably don't want to talk about it. Especially with a Luthor."</p><p>"It's not that!” Kara quickly denied, shaking her head and following Lena when she moved away. “Hey, it's not. There are less than ten people in the world who knows me for both my identities and... the more people know, the dangerous it becomes. My cousin goes through the same thing, although he's a little better at hiding his secret. It's not because of <em>who</em> you are, I promise."</p><p>Lena gently put Liam down, covered him with his blanket, and smiled when he sighed contently. "Guess I will have to take your word for it,” she whispered and Kara couldn’t help but smile as well when the woman ran a finger down his little nose. “Can I ask you something?"</p><p>Distracted, Kara shrugged. "Sure."</p><p>"Why are you here? Don't take this to the wrong side but I don't need your help." Lena didn’t turn around and Kara didn’t try to look at her face either. It was like time had frozen around them.</p><p>"I don't think you do,” the blonde sighed. “Not at all."</p><p>"So why is Supergirl helping me change diapers?"</p><p>Things would work out in the end. They always did. And sometimes you don’t have to think too hard about things, right? Kara thought so and she hoped Lena would, at least, try to do the same.</p><p>"I... I just like to be here."</p><p>The silence that followed was long and uncomfortable, albeit that feeling came from the way she could see Lena’s eyes were studying her face so attentively that she wasn’t even blinking. "... Okay."</p><p>"Okay?"</p><p>"Yes. Okay."</p><p>And then Lena looked at her in that weirdly specific way that made things to Kara’s insides. It melted every worry and brought a sense of calm that she hadn’t felt in decades, and Kara realized that maybe Lena understood her. She might not be able to crack down every piece of her being and figure out what on Earth Supergirl was doing but she at least understood that Kara wasn’t doing rational thinking throughout this and she wished no harm. Yet, the way her eyes crinkled to the sides and a glint shined in mischieve, the blonde wondered if she knew more than Kara did.</p><p>But that was okay too.</p><p>"Okay, so... How do you do this?" Kara asked the next day after landing on the woman’s balcony right when the Luthor was about to go change the little boy.</p><p>Lena raised a hand to muffle the laugh that threatened to escape as she stood behind Supergirl. The hero was standing in front of the changing table, both hands on her hips, puffed chest and squared shoulders like she was getting ready for a fight. She had taken her cape off, it was currently lying on her coat hanger by the front door, and somehow she managed to roll the sleeves of her suit up so there was a slight path of pale forearms in exposure now, but the blonde still managed to look like she was at the verge of a nervous breakdown.</p><p>"What? You never changed a diaper before?" Lena teased in a blissful tone as she kept watching the other woman closely.</p><p>At this, Kara turned her head around, a goofy smile on her face, and shrugged. "You would be surprised by the lack of opportunities in that department I had."</p><p>"I can imagine," Lena rolled her eyes before smiling gently at her. She approached, cooing at the baby waiting for the adults to stop being silly and just change him already, before she pointed at the dirty diaper. "You need to take this out first." Kara scrunched her nose in disgust at the idea of going anywhere near the thing and the shorter woman finally laughed. "It's just pee, Supergirl. I wouldn't be that cruel to you. Besides, I think you must have faced things that were far more dangerous than a dirty diaper."</p><p>"To be fair, I never had to fight something that smelled as bad as the things I can smell coming from that boy."</p><p>Lena laughed again, loud and happily, throwing her head back and putting a hand on her chest while Kara watched her with a dreamy look and a soft grin. "I believe I might have given birth to what will become Supergirl's downfall," she teased. "Did you hear that sweet boy? You're the weapon capable of defeating the strongest woman on Earth."</p><p>"Okay," Kara scoffed as she raised her hands in defense. "First of all, I won't have a downfall because of diapers with poop, okay? Second, I'm the strongest <em>being</em> on Earth, thank you very much. And last, don't give away any ideas, please."</p><p>"He's three months old," Lena rolled her eyes. "What ideas could I possibly give him?"</p><p>"Maybe not to him but can you imagine if your mother finds out she can stick a dirty diaper in a pole to keep me away? Disaster."</p><p>That gave Lena a pause. The smile slowly slipped from her face and the glint in her eyes faded into sadness, and Kara immediately wished she could punch herself for being so stupid. She had realized Lena's family was a touchy subject so why would she bring it up? And like that in all ways? The lack of tact she had sometimes was truly mesmerizing as Alex had accused numerous times before.</p><p>"Let's not let her find out then," the woman's voice was low and heavy with regret. Kara gulped, praying that her brain would be able to come up with something to say to make things better but Lena didn't give her time to recover. "Do you still want to do this?"</p><p>The brunette didn't look as excited as she was when Kara first suggested she taught her how to change Liam's diapers, so the hero decided she had to do something about it. She would be damned if she let her big mouth ruin their night, especially after the shitty day she had at CatCo.</p><p>She just found out Cat Grant was leaving, moving away to some other company or something, and she would, very likely, lose her job. And it was fine, truly, she got paid by the DEO quite a lot of money and could live just fine. However, working at CatCo allowed her to be Kara Danvers, Cat Grant’s very human secretary, and she would miss that. So she spent all day in the worse mood ever, mourning something that hadn't even happen yet. What made her feel better though, was knowing she would see Lena and Liam right after dinner time and things would feel less heavy on her chest.</p><p>So, no. She wouldn't let Lena think, even for a second, that Kara didn't truly want to be there or that she wasn’t grateful to be allowed to be a part of their lives.</p><p>"Well, I would be lying if I said I really, <em>really</em> want to do it," she joked with a shrug and a smirk. "Like, I truly don't want to go near this diaper. But," Kara tilted her head so she could glance at the side of Lena's face and the soft look on the woman's features took her breath away for more than just a few seconds. "But I want to," she sounded way more distracted than she was comfortable with.</p><p>Lena watched her. Like, openly watched her, eyes scanning her face and all, and Kara tried not to squirm under her intense stare. It was that look again, the one that made her stomach do backward flips and her heart to act like the wings of a hummingbird. Now, three months after they first came across each other and not having to keep it a secret anymore, Kara was starting to realize what Lena might found every time she studied her face like that. It was quite scary. But Lena just nodded once she was done and then a playful smirk turned her lips up.</p><p>"You don't want to... but you want to?" Came the tease and the hero rolled her eyes.</p><p>"Semantics are not my forte," Kara shot back. "Now, are you teaching me or not because I don't think we should let LK swim in his own pee for longer."</p><p>"LK?" The Luthor asked as her brows furrowed cutely.</p><p>"Oh," the blonde stuttered, eyes going wide and palms feeling sweaty out of sudden. "Yeah, I, uh, I call him like that. Sometimes. Not all the time. Just every once in a while. He doesn't seem to mind, he likes it. I think. But if you don't, I will stop! I mean..."</p><p>"Do you need to breathe?"</p><p>Confused by the question being shot at her so out of sudden, Kara blinked, her mouth imitating a fish. "Wha-What?"</p><p>Not bothered by her sudden incapacity to form words, Lena only repeated, "do you need to breathe?"</p><p>Kara looked around as her brain tried to add sense into the question or understand how they jumped subjects so quickly. Had she spaced out and missed a part of the conversation? Not likely but not impossible. Her body did crazy shit around Lena.</p><p>"Yes," she answered slowly. "Yes, I do."</p><p>"Just checking," Lena shrugged, still not thrown off by whatever was happening. "It seemed like you didn't during your stumbling."</p><p>Kara blinked a total of five slow times before she was able to give her a reply. "I wasn't stumbling."</p><p>"You were," Lena chuckled. "But that's fine. Just remember to breathe. And you can call Liam as you wish, it's fine."</p><p>"Oh. Okay. Yeah. I will."</p><p>"Good. Now stop postponing your destiny, Supergirl. You have a diaper to change.”</p><p>That was something she never thought she would hear in her life.</p><p>Kara chuckled to herself before nodding way more excitedly than she should have been for the situation. She clapped once and pointed at the boy. “Diapers out!”</p><p>“Not so fast!” The shorter woman’s hand shot out suddenly to stop her from doing anything and Kara glanced at her in confusion. That was the whole point, wasn’t it? “Do you have everything in hand?”</p><p>The hero looked around in confusion, clearly not following that line of questioning. “Well...” Kara tilted her head. “I have the baby, so...”</p><p>Lena huffed at that, although she looked amused by her lack of knowledge. “You will need more than the baby, trust be. Hadn’t you see me changing him before?”</p><p>The blonde tried to hold the blush that raised from her chest but it was fairly impossible. They had yet to address the fact that Kara was invading their day-to-day life but that sounded the closest they ever got to mention it. It also made Kara feel weird because the woman would open the balcony door every night but Lena hadn’t explicitly invited her into their lives.</p><p>Considering she was about to change Lena’s son’s diapers, it was a little late to worry about that small detail now.</p><p>So instead Kara shrugged. “I avoid the area when you’re at it.”</p><p>Lena nudged her shoulder like she was scolding her but she had a small grin that told her off so Kara didn’t think much while allowing her body to be moved like the woman had actually pushed her. “You will need a clean diaper, wet wipes, diaper cream, and, just because you wanted the full experience, you will also change him, so get him a change of clothes.”</p><p>Kara took less than five seconds to get all of that. Once she was back with her arms filled with the things Lena asked, she smiled at the shorter woman like a kid offering their parent a present. “Got it!”</p><p>“How many butts do you think my son has?” Lena arched one eyebrow while eyeing the number of diapers the hero had collected on her run.</p><p>“Sometimes,” Kara started, leaning over like she was sharing a huge secret, “it smells like it’s a lot.”</p><p>Clearly taken aback, Lena threw her head back and howled a free laugh. The blonde had no other reaction but to watch her with an amazed smile of her own. Lena’s laugh was generally rollicking, joyous and, when she was taken by surprise like that, also full-throated. It was musical, even a bit high-pitched, but no less beautiful. It made Kara feel a little... shaky, jittery, wobbly when she heard it to be real.</p><p>That’s why she took a few seconds to realize Liam was finally done waiting for them. The boy, who was safely anchored with the safety straps, started whimpering and the first sob escaped his throat before either of them could try to stop him.</p><p>“Sorry, sorry!” Kara quickly dropped the items she had grabbed – she did it unironically, true story – on the changing table and hovered over him with concern in her eyes and full panic mode on. “Okay, how do I do this?”</p><p>“Did you wash your hands?” Lena asked as she also changed to business mode. Done in less than a second, Kara showed off her freshly washed hands. “Okay, now you can unfasten the diaper tabs.” Kara did exactly that so carefully that one might think she was taking the wires from a bomb. “Now hold his ankles together, yes, like that, and up. A bit more, you have to be able to slide the diaper away.”</p><p>Kara did as instructed with as much caution as she could gather. She kept reminding herself of her strength – and of the lack of thereof from Liam – and she made sure that every time she touched him was as gently as she could. Once she slid the dirty diaper from under his butt, Kara looked up from more instructions and found that Lena was smiling at her.</p><p>“Now the wipes,” the brunette said, albeit her voice sounded much softer than it did the last time she spoke. It made Kara gulp, for a reason she didn’t completely understand yet, before she looked away to reach out for the wet wipes. “Front to back, make sure it’s all clean. Believe me, if it’s poop, the mess will be huge.”</p><p>Kara chuckled softly since she was too concentrated on the task in her hands to truly appreciate the joke. She did a double check to make sure Liam was all clean as new before she clutched the wipe on her hand and looked around for the trash. Lena was left-handed, which meant the trash can was on her other side and she had to make some effort to reach it while still holding Liam’s legs up but she managed to do it with just a small twist of her body. Once back in place, Lena was already holding a clean diaper for her.</p><p>“Now, put this on.”</p><p>“I don’t think it’s going to fit me.”</p><p>Lena rolled her eyes so hard that it was almost like her eyes would never return to their normal position – although she did all of that with a smile on her lips. She pushed the diaper into Kara’s hand and huffed. “I don’t know what I did to have to deal with two kids.”</p><p>The hero laughed more openly now before she started to fight over with the diaper to keep it open in a way she could slide it under Liam’s bottom. “I don’t even know if this is the right side.”</p><p>“You will find out in a minute.” Not helpful but Kara would let that one slide. She finally managed to put the clean diaper under the boy, then she looked up to know what she should do next. “The cream.”</p><p>Okay, next problem ahead, Kara realized. She didn’t open the tube before starting the whole process. Shouldn’t they think about that while doing those? Using only one hand, Kara reached for the tube, glared at it with a frown, before she brought the top into her mouth so she could use her teeth to hold it and open it. She was about to twist her wrist when Lena laugh stopped her.</p><p>“You can let go of him now,” Lena explained once she glanced at her.</p><p>“Oh,” the blonde breathed, truly confused.</p><p>She gently put the boy’s butt back on the table and then used both hands to open the cream tube. Meanwhile, Lena’s laughs had changed to a breathy chuckle. “You really never dealt with a baby before, huh?”</p><p>Kara blushed again. “No. I never had small siblings or cousins. And none of my friends became a parent yet, so I’m literally working with nothing here.”</p><p>Lena placed a soothing hand on the small of her back and offered her a smile. “I’m sorry I laughed.”</p><p>“No, it’s okay. I’m pretty sure it’s a funny thing to watch,” Kara shrugged as she squeezed some of the cream on the tip of her fingers. She looked over to see if she got Lena’s approval before she lifted the little boy again to apply it on his soft skin.</p><p>“I also didn’t know much,” Lena confessed quietly. “Sam is the only one I know who has a kid and she wasn’t a baby when we met. I had to read a lot of books when I found out I was pregnant. Although don’t get fooled by it. The books don’t make you ready for the real thing. If it wasn’t for the nurses teaching me the basics, I don’t think I would have been able to do it. I had a lot of trouble in the first few days.”</p><p>Kara nodded. Not because she completely understood what the woman went through, but because she could sympathize with a solo mom who had no one to rely on. To her point of view, Lena was doing just fine on her own. In fact, she was doing a hell of a good job. Liam was healthy and he looked happy. But everyone needed a little support sometimes and there was nothing wrong in wishing that there was someone around to take some of the load away.</p><p>So Kara could learn how to change diapers, and give bottles, and put him to sleep. She could do so much more if Lena allows her to but she had to keep that in mind: her permissions to do stuff started and ended where Lena decided it did.</p><p>“How do I close this?” she asked gently.</p><p>“Pull the front up and over his belly,” Lena instructed after grinning up at her. “Now pull the taps open and around. There, at the fastening surface. And that’s it. Well done, Supergirl, you just changed your first diapers.”</p><p>“My sister will never believe this.”</p><p>“She may not but you earned your prize.” The brunette turned around and grabbed a small pack of M&amp;M’s, that she promptly offered Kara. She pulled it away before the hero could grab it, though. “Wash your hands first.” Kara didn’t think she was supposed to hear it but superhearing so she did hear when Lena mumbled over her breath while she walked to the bathroom to wash her hands. “Just like a kid.”</p><p>Which she took no offense at because she gained her chocolate.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kara: Liam is getting so big, I remember when I changed his diapers<br/>Alex: That was literally two minutes ago.<br/>Lena: At least her short memory is quite good.<br/>Kara: See, she sees my qualities. You should do the same.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Spill the tea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Guys, let me know, how is this working out till now?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You look a little... off tonight."</p><p>Startled by the start of a new conversation in between the quiet that had fallen in the large apartment, Kara moved her eyes to stare at the woman standing by her side. The diaper challenge had been successful, thankfully and without any accidents. Kara was almost confident she could do it all by herself the next time, she ate her M&amp;M’s while feeling proud of herself and overall it was a nice experience. Either way, Liam was glad to be clean and put on new, comfortable baby clothes, and so they decided to put him to sleep. They were both hovering over the crib now, standing too close together but definitely not looking at each other.</p><p>"What do you mean?" Kara tried to dodge the question with another one, exactly the way she did when Alex cought her touching something in her lab that she wasn’t supposed to.</p><p>Her hand reached out to grab the white puppy from the crib when Liam's small hands let it go, his breath evened out and his heartbeat slowing to a steady beat. She moved to put the dog on the shelf Lena always did, making sure it was in the right place. She couldn't see it but she could feel Lena's eyes following her around and tried not to fidget. What was with people watching her nowadays?</p><p>"I'm not sure," Lena confessed quietly. "You look a little... sad, I guess."</p><p>The hero tilted her head to the side, lips pursed together, hand slowly retracting from the stuffed animal to fall to her side. She had thought a lot about what she could and couldn't tell Lena. To be honest, she could say very little about everything. At the same time, she wanted to. There was just something about Lena, about the way she stood by her side and showed no fear, in the way she accepted Kara’s presence without questions, in the way she just let Kara be. No one had ever just... let her be.</p><p>"I'm just having some problems at work," she replied quietly after measuring the words carefully inside her head.</p><p>"Your work?" Lena echoed behind her and Kara finally turned around when she heard the confusion attached to her tone. "I hear the news. Things seem to be very calm these last few weeks."</p><p>True. Kara hadn't been called for a D.E.O. emergency in over two weeks. She helped put down some fires and stopped one robbery but things did seem very quiet in the criminal world. She was a bit bored, if she was going to be honest, but the lack of heroism acts she needed to pull wasn't something she was going to complain. At the same time, it felt dull after weeks of not using her super-strength to beat some ass.</p><p>"No, not... this." Kara waved a hand to show off her suit and Lena's face lighted in understanding. And because the woman looked so damn cute in the dim light of the room, Kara spoke again, "I got some bad news today, that's all."</p><p>"I'm sorry to hear that," the Luthor offered her a sympathetic look, which Kara accepted with a single nod. "Is there anything I can do?"</p><p>The blonde frowned, both hands coming to rest on her hips. "You don't have to help me in any way, Lena."</p><p>"It just seems fair," the woman replied. "You're helping so much."</p><p>"I'm not expecting anything in return," the hero shook her head vehemently. "I'm just glad to be here."</p><p>For an entire minute, Lena said nothing. Kara tried not to pay attention to how hard she was being studied again, instead deciding it was time to move on. Liam was sleeping and it would be a disaster if their conversation woke him up. The boy was very similar to her, ironically, because he hated to be woken up before time in a way that would scare even Rao. So she checked the boy one last time, smiled down at him, then looked up to smile at his mother and walked around her to leave.</p><p>Kara was already reaching the kitchen when her name was called out. She turned, trying to keep a neutral expression, and waited until Lena caught up with her down the hall after carefully closing the door behind her, the baby monitor in one hand as she used the other one to push a loose strand away from her eyes.</p><p>"I was going to make some tea," Lena started and Kara was startled when she saw a blush rising from beneath the woman's purple comfortable-looking sweater. "If you want some," she concluded.</p><p>How weird was it that, since the first time that crazy situation started, Kara had never done something as mundane as drink tea with Lena? She had slept in her house once and they yet had to spend some time together. Just them, no baby, no dirty diapers or loud screams. It was a very tempting opportunity and Kara never had a very strong resolve.</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>And that's how she found herself sitting in a tall stool on Lena's kitchen island, sipping a tea from a brand she always saw in the market and never dared to pour that much money into and awkwardly looking around. She knew the kitchen very well by then. She knew where the knives were, the plates, the cups, the pans, and all the food. She also knew where everything was located in the baby's room, where Lena kept blankets and the way to the laundry room. There were places inside the large penthouse that she hadn't see yet but she probably knew the place better than the D.E.O by then.</p><p>Lena was sitting by her left, cradling the warm mug between her long fingers while she waited for the tea to cool down a little bit, green eyes glued at the china cabinet. They hadn't spoken after Lena asked if she wanted sugar and Kara denied, although she had never drunk tea without sugar in her entire life. She was now stuck with a bitter taste that she couldn't make better with her usual five sugar spoons. To make things a little worse, Kara's phone was vibrating in her hidden pocket and she was sure it was Alex asking if she was being a creep again.</p><p>"So..." Lena started after a minute of silence. "What do you work with?" Kara's eyes blinked at her with enough uncertainty to let her know she wasn't going to get an answer. At least, not an honest one. "Sorry, I know you don't want to talk about your other life." At that, Kara giggled, staring down at her tea. "What?"</p><p>"It's funny," the blonde shrugged. "How you said it. For me, <em>this </em>is my other life." Her hands motioned to her covered body before she threw her thumb over her shoulder to show her the cape still draped on the coat hanger.</p><p>Lena's eyes bulged a little. "Oh. Right. Sorry. I never... I have no idea how to talk with a superhero with a secret identity."</p><p>"Is there one who doesn't have a secret identity?" Kara replied with a smirk and Lena accepted the words with a chuckle. "I'm sorry," the blonde added a minute later. "I can't tell you much. It's dangerous for you to know too much."</p><p>"Because of my brother." It wasn't a question and she didn't give the hero a time to refute that. "I know what he did to your cousin and I can't blame you for not telling me much."</p><p>Much being anything, Kara assumed, but the woman was too polite to say it like that. Which she appreciated because things were already weird enough.</p><p>"It's not because of it. Well, it is, a little bit, but not because of me," Kara sighed. "It's dangerous for you. And for Liam. The least you know, the less risk you run. And I don't want to put you in any danger."</p><p>Lena took a large sip of her tea, eyes never meeting the blonde, and her response took long enough that Kara started thinking she wasn't going to say anything. Finally, she also sighed. Her nails started a rhythmic pattern of hits against her mug but they barely paid any attention to the added noise. "I can handle my family. I have been dealing with them for two decades now."</p><p>Kara didn't nod or acknowledge the statement at all. Instead, she drank her tea, held back a grimace, and pursed her lips. For another minute or so, silence fell over them, disturbed, to Lena, only by her nails occasionally hitting the black porcelain in her hands; to Kara, it was a cacophony of sounds - cars, horns, barking dogs, ringtones, voices, cans, doors. She learned to muffle all of it, to push all of that unnecessary pieces of information to the back of her mind, but it got more bearable when she had something else to concentrate on. Two heartbeats were her main focus for over two months now, as weird as that could sound.</p><p>"In the hospital..." the hero stopped, ran her next words over her head, then looked down at the kitchen island. "In the hospital, someone said your mother was... absent."</p><p>"Who told you that?" Lena frowned deeply, looking much harder than she did a second before and Kara gulped.</p><p>"I heard it in the hallways."</p><p>The shorter woman scoffed and opened her mouth, probably to eat, chew and spill her out for bringing up gossips, but Kara also didn't want to tell her about the mysterious brunette who had walked inside the hospital while she was waiting to grab new blankets. She wasn't sure how much more creepiness Lena would take before kicking her out and she was not going to push it.</p><p>She didn't have to worry about it, though. "Was it Sam?" Lena asked suddenly with an eye roll. It was made with fondness and Kara could hear the barely hidden tenderness in her voice attached to this <em>Sam's </em>name. It was the second time she heard it but at least she knew who it was now. "She came into my room saying she saw Supergirl in the hallway. I should have known." With a sigh and a grimace, Lena raised the mug to her lips and shook her head. "I always tell Sam she needs to buy a filter to her big mouth."</p><p>"I'm sorry if..."</p><p>"No, that's okay. She means well," the brunette shrugged. "But, yes, she wasn't lying. My mother... She wasn't happy when I told her I was pregnant. Well, she was never happy with me but she was particularly sorrowful because of this."</p><p>"Why?" Kara asked with furrowed brows and a bitter taste in her tongue.</p><p>"She was disappointed for many reasons. Me not being married, the fact that the father grabbed his things and ran for the hills, me in general." Lena shrugged again. "She's just an unhappy person, overall."</p><p>"I'm sorry to hear that."</p><p>"That's okay. I have dealt with Lillian for twenty years now, there's not much who can strike me." At the slight confusion on the blonde's face, she explained, "I was adopted by the Luthors when I was four."</p><p>To the new information, which made a lot of sense, Kara nodded. "So was I." She paused, eyes going wide, before she noticed a glint in Lena's eyes. "Which you already knew because I'm an alien." Rolling her eyes to herself, Kara scoffed.</p><p>"I assumed it, yes," nodding and not even hiding her smirk, Lena agreed.</p><p>Silence fell around them again after a shared quiet chuckle and Kara noticed, in the newfound quietness, that the strongest, loudest, closest heartbeat became a little erratic. It changed from a light thumb to a fast pace, and Kara shook a deep breath in when her own heart seemed to take it as a challenge to match.</p><p>“Why did you left?”</p><p>The hero almost snorted back her tea, surprised by the break in the silence. “Left from where?”</p><p>Lena wasn’t looking at her again, but her nails were hitting the mug harden than before. “The hospital.” Her voice came out heavy with uncertainty and Lena was quick to clear her throat to get rid of it. “You said you would be back. Sam told me she saw you in the hallway, but... you didn’t.”</p><p>Yes, well, Kara didn’t regret doing that but she felt sorry for leaving without an explanation. At the time, though, she had no idea those two would become such an important part of her life. When she left the hospital, she truly thought that would be the last time she would see any of them. And, yet, there she was, drinking tea with the young mother while her son slept like a rock a few feets away.</p><p>Her life did a crazy turn, huh?</p><p>“I thought...” Kara flicked her tongue between her lips, grabbing a drop of the bitter tea that had escaped her mouth, and then shrugged. “I thought you would be fine with your friend, and I... I didn’t want to get in the way. Sorry I didn’t tell you I was leaving.”</p><p>“I can’t demand you to warn me you were leaving if you didn’t even have to be there in the first place,” Lena finally moved green orbs over her kitchen utensils to look at her and Kara froze with the mug halfway to her lips. “You didn’t even have to take me to the hospital.”</p><p>“Of course I had,” Kara quickly shook her head. “You needed medical assistance and helping people in need is literally my job description.” There was a brief pause and then her face opened in an easy smile. “This one, not the other.”</p><p>Lena also smiled, all awkwardness and heaviness leaving the room, and she tilted her head an inch. “Good to know.”</p><p>Kara chuckled softly, looking down at her mug and the brown-like liquid inside. “I just assumed you would be fine with your friend there.”</p><p>“Can’t blame you,” the shorter woman sighed, although it just sounded worn. “It wasn’t your job to stay around.”</p><p>“Speaking of staying around...” Kara started, deciding to change the subject before it made a turn she couldn’t walk away from. “I thought your friend would have stayed with you or something. I didn’t see her in the past months.”</p><p>“Sam doesn’t live here. She lives in Metropolis with her daughter but she caught the first flight when I told her I was in labor.” With a warm smile, Lena clearly got a little lost in the memories of her friend and the hero allowed her a minute, despite her confusion. “I called her when my contractions started and she just hopped on a plane,” she explained.</p><p>The Kryptonian nodded along, put her mug away, and offered the woman a smile. “Well, she sounded very worried when she showed up at the hospital.”</p><p>“It’s okay to call her extra,” Lena winked at her with a chuckle. “Anyway, she had to leave later that day to take care of her kid and go back to work. She apologized for not being able to stay with me but I told her it would be fine. Funny of you to mention her though. She will be back later this month.”</p><p>“Oh, really?”</p><p>“Yes. She will take care of Liam while I deal with some problems.” Lena shrugged and drank the rest of her tea with a content sigh. “I believe I’m going to need her help a lot for a while.”</p><p>“What do you mean?” Kara was already worried about the perspective of Lena needed any more help. What could happen that would make her...</p><p>“Just boring things,” Lena waved a hand dismissively. “So what is this thing in your job that upset you? Some people might say I’m very good at coming up with solutions if you wish to share it with me.”</p><p>And even if she knew it was not a good idea, that she should not share more than she already had, Kara couldn’t help it. "I, uh, I will probably lose my job. That's the problem. I found out about it today."</p><p>"Oh, I'm so sorry." Lena’s face contorted into a grimace and she withered in the stool.</p><p>The blonde shrugged. "That's fine. I will find something else. It's just that... I genuinely like where I work right now and I will miss it. But, hey, maybe that's my chance to find new opportunities, right?"</p><p>"I'm always impressed by your positivity,” the younger woman replied with a quirk of her eyebrow, a smirk and a pointed finger towards the blonde. “Can't imagine that I would react the same way. When I left my old job, I cried for days."</p><p>Kara nodded, aware and sympathetic of the feeling. "What did you work with?"</p><p>"I worked making research for a lab at Midvale University. I had to leave the position when I moved here." Lena shrugged. She was trying to sell it like a pass subject, as though it wasn’t still bothering her, but Kara could see right through her. The lingering sadness was almost palpable.</p><p>"Why did you moved here, by the way? You said you know no one in town."</p><p>"I know you now,” the brunette pointed out with a smile and received another one in return. In the back of her mind, Kara noticed how their hearts seemed to finally even out and match. “Anyway, I decided to pursue a new job and I had to move. On one side, it's better this way but I miss my position at the University. I'm a scientist by heart, but I'm here to assume a position at our family's company since Lex is a bit... busy right now."</p><p>"Luthor Corp? I thought they closed it."</p><p>Kara had heard all about it, indeed. It was all over the news after Lex got arrested and she read tons of articles CatCo and Kal had written about it. All of them said the same thing, that the company was closed and non-operating since their CEO was incapable of working anymore. Kara always thought Lex would find a way to run the company from jail or that Lillian Luthor would assume it to keep working on Lex’s extermination ideas but she was supposedly very wrong about her assumptions. Since his arrest, Luthor Corporation was thoroughly closed.</p><p>"It is, for now. At least to the public,” the other woman explained. There was a new glint in her eyes, something between excitement and a challenge, and Kara couldn’t help but smile at it. Whatever it was, Lena was visibly happy because of it. “We're working on a few projects. I know it’s going to be hard to bring it back, find new investors, and clean the bad image the company has but I have some ideas on what to do.”</p><p>“Is this why your friend is coming over?”</p><p>“Yes. I have a meeting with another company later this month and I need someone to watch Liam. I will also need someone to stay ahead of our company until my maternity leave is over and there’s no one I trust more than Sam. She was the CFO of a couple of companies back in Metropolis and also Midvale, she can handle things until I can assume my chair.”</p><p>“Well, Miss Luthor,” Kara started with a smirk and a wink. “I have faith you will do just fine.”</p><p>Heart suddenly going off like a sledgehammer, Lena blushed but the thankful smile still hadn’t left her lips when Kara finally took off.</p><p>As crazy as it sounded, those late night conversations after putting Liam to sleep became quite normal. Kara tried not to linger around for too long before the woman deserved to sleep as well but share small talk while sipping on their tea became kind of their thing. Alex must have sensed something different on her because she stopped making a big deal out of that – she didn’t look particularly happy but also not a second away of having a stroke.</p><p>It was quite worrying how her heart would sink every time she had to leave but Kara tried really hard not to think too much about it. It would do no good to daydream about things that were nothing but empty hopes. But they reached a point where they could joke about their weird situation they found themselves in.</p><p>(“The Super nanny is here!” was easily replied with “Supergirl, don’t ever say something like that aloud again.”</p><p>“They’re certainly improving the daycare services,” was promptly answered with an eye roll from Kara and: “It’s night already.”)</p><p>And between the dirty diapers, the late-night cries, the shared teas, and whispered conversations, Kara found herself getting hooked. Those all-consuming feelings she had been experiencing deep inside her core might be a projection of her mind, something her brain was creating because she helped Lena in a very decisive moment of her life, or because she held a newborn Liam in her arms, or because she had some deep desire of having a family again, whatever it was, those feelings that she couldn’t quite explain or fully comprehend made little sense but certainly filled her chest with a fuzzy warmth that she hadn't felt in many, many years.</p><p>So she would keep coming back, for as long as she was allowed, because she wasn’t ready to let those feelings go.</p><p>“I heard there was another fire downtown this afternoon.”</p><p>Kara was just shrugging off her cape when she heard Lena’s voice sounding behind her. When she turned around, the woman was standing in the hallway with her phone in one hand and an empty baby bottle in the other one. She had been trying to teach Liam to feed on the bottle for a few days now, although Kara wasn’t sure why. She read in some article that some women get too sensitive after a while and that breastfeeding isn’t the nice bed of roses movies make look like but she wasn’t brave enough to ask Lena if her nipples were alright.</p><p>Too much.</p><p>However, how much more intimate their interactions could become was still an open question. For example, the balcony door was always open for her now, she didn’t even have to wait for Lena to let her in. And Kara walked inside, and removed her cape, and took off her boots, and used her kitchen, and held her son. So she was still trying to figure out exactly how close they could be considered.</p><p>Well, to be fair, Kara was still trying to figure out what exactly was going on between them.</p><p>Alex teased her about having a crush on the youngest Luthor, albeit her sister seemed really mad about the fact that she was spending time with the woman at all, and Kara denied it vehemently. For now, Kara was ignoring her own feelings because Lena could never feel this way about her. About Supergirl, that is. She didn’t know her, she knew Supergirl, and it would be a huge disaster if that ever happened. So, no, Lena didn’t have a crush on her, or Supergirl, or whatever.</p><p>Except that there were times, like the one they were currently in, when Kara would look at the other woman and just see something in her expression that would tell her that she was maybe wrong. Lena’s words sounded almost distracted and nonchalant but it was her eyes that spoke volumes. She was worried about her, worried that she got hurt or something. Worried in a way that she shouldn’t for someone who knew nothing about Kara.</p><p>But, no. That couldn’t be. That would never be, so she wasn’t going to linger on those dreaming thoughts and she was going to hold her thoughts in a tight leash.</p><p>“Yes,” the blonde replied then, nodding along with the word before she bent down to remove her boots. Lena had started leaving a pair of slippers by the door, assumedly for her to use when she was around but Kara enjoyed being barefoot in the cold tiles of the floor. And, since Lena hadn’t come out and said she could use it, Kara wasn’t sure it was actually hers to use. “An accident at the school lab.”</p><p>“Was it bad?”</p><p>“Nah,” Kara sighed. “I had to walk inside to deal with the chemicals because no one else could go around some of those stuff without safety equipment but that was it. Everything was put away to make sure nothing else would explode. Someone was eating gummy bears too close to the potassium chloride.” The blonde shrugged as she turned around fully, her bare feet making a soft thump on the floor. “Good news though, I found the package of gummy bears and they’re all intact. Well, they were, I ate them.”</p><p>At that, Lena laughed. She threw her head back and the sound of her voice filled the apartment – and Kara’s heart. “At least they didn’t throw potassium at a cup of water.”</p><p>Kara whistled and frowned but her face still held a smile. “Rao, I’m not sure I could stop that one.”</p><p>The shorter woman only noticed that the hero was approaching her when the blonde was standing right in front of her. They were in the same height, thanks to the small step that leads to the hallway, and Kara couldn’t help but stare right at green eyes. She had never seen Lena with make-up, with fancy clothes or a perfectly done hairstyle. Taking the dress she first saw Lena using when they met, it was always comfortable, although fashionable, clothes, hair stuck into a loose bun and clean face where she could see big dark bags under the woman’s eyes, indicating the trying times she was going through.</p><p>Even so, and especially then, Kara thought she was easily the most beautiful woman that had ever walked, or will walk, on Earth. She had freckles on her nose, not as much as Kara herself had, but they were more pronounced in her pale skin. Her lips were full and naturally red-colored, her jawline was strong and sharp, her hair dark and soft-looking. It all made Kara’s heart race and her breath get stuck on the back of her throat.</p><p>And then, like it couldn’t get any worse - or better - Lena’s eyes shined with a newfound mischievousness and she eyed Kara curiously. “You know what happens if we mix potassium and water?”</p><p>The blonde almost laughed at that. Earth elements and Krypton elements might have been different but she still leaned all about chemical reactions when she wasn’t even ten yet. “The potassium loses an eléctron, who splits the water atom, and produces a negatively charged hydroxide ion and hydrogen. That said, it will ignite and explode.” Lena looked so honestly surprised that Kara couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer. She cracked, shaking her head, and raised one eyebrow. “What? Surprised I know some stuff?”</p><p>Lena paused, eyeing her again, and becoming more and more excited by the second. Finally, when Kara was almost starting to feel uncomfortable, she tilted her head to the side, a curious look on her face, a seriousness in her tone that Kara hadn’t heard before. “What do you know about Quantum Entanglement?”</p><p>The hero smiled and snorted. “Please,” she waved a hand like she was shoving the subject away before she crossed her arms. “Ask me anything.”</p><p>Lena’s excitement couldn’t be hidden anymore. She jumped the small step, eager to get closer and start gesticulating to make her point, and the blonde didn’t even realize how much closer she got until it was too late. Which didn’t help her at all because she suddenly felt like she wouldn’t even be able to spell quantum entanglement if Lena asked her to.</p><p>“The paradox of it all is really fascinating,” the woman talked, unaware of how tense Kara suddenly become. “I mean, the way the measurements just collapse the entire system instantaneously, erasing all the information before they could even communicate...”</p><p>It was too much.</p><p>Way too much.</p><p>She could feel Lena’s breath hitting her chin, she could feel where her arms brushed when Lena waved her hands too excitedly, she could feel the heat radiating from the other woman, she could feel all the things she was trying so hard not to feel.</p><p>Too much.</p><p>And too little at the same time.</p><p>Too much, and not enough.</p><p>Not enough.</p><p>More.</p><p>She needed more.</p><p>Kara almost jumped throughout the roof when she heard a loud ringtone crossed the large space of the living room, interrupting Lena’s rambling and Kara’s thoughts, and the blonde would be lying if it didn’t bring some relief to her being. She was leaning in, she was getting too close, she was about a minute of doing something stupid.</p><p>It was too much.</p><p>“It’s probably Sam,” Lena informed her but didn’t move to go answer it. “We need to go through the details of her staying.”</p><p>Kara nodded distractedly. “You answer that. I will check on Liam.”</p><p>And because it was too much - and not enough - Kara walked away before the other woman could objectify her idea.</p><p>Liam wasn’t sleeping but she already knew that. It wasn’t napping time and his heart was beating too fast to be asleep. If anyone asked, though, Kara would never admit knowing when his nap time was. To be fair, it was almost all day and she envied him a little bit. He was lying on his crib, green eyes staring at the puppy Lena hang above his head, his little hands trying to catch it while he giggled happily.</p><p>The giggling was a new occurrence. He only started doing those sounds for a few days but Kara thought it was one of the funniest things she had ever heard. It was weird and full of saliva, and his chubby cheeks closed his eyes when he smiled, and Kara loved every second of it. So did Lena. They were together when that happened for the first time, actually, and they shared a look that screamed wonder and amazement.</p><p>“Hey, big boy,” Kara cooed him happily and the baby paused for a second before his eyes turned to her and he giggled again. He always did that now when he saw her but she wasn’t going to complain. It was cute. “How are you doing today?”</p><p>He wouldn’t answer her for probably a few more years but she asked him every time. Rao, she tried to imagine how he would sound, what would his voice be like. What would his first word be? She could bet it would be something cute like mom or something equally sweet. Kara hoped she would be around to see the astonishment on Lena’s face because...</p><p>Okay. Wow. Too much, definitely too much. Backtrack from there, Kara. Let’s not plan a future that you don’t know you will ever be a part of.</p><p>Kara shook her thoughts away when she noticed Liam reaching his chubby, short arms to her. Smiling, she picked him up from the crib, resting his head on her shoulder. “You didn’t give your mom too much trouble today, did you?” Smoothing down his hair, she waited for a sound of recognition, but got nothing. “I will take this silence as a yes. I wouldn’t like to hear that you were giving her too much work when I’m not around to help.”</p><p>Liam gurgled into her shoulder and she felt a huge drop of drool hit her suit. Kara rolled her eyes at that, not actually bothered, but still a little grossed out. She came a long way, going as far as changing poop diapers. That didn’t mean she was entirely comfortable with those disgusting baby perks.</p><p>“I heard you’re going to receive a lady here,” Kara continued, walking around the room while rocking him gently. “You need to be extra nice so we can show off how well-behaved you are, you know.”</p><p>Which was not an overstatement. Liam was actually a very well-behaved baby, not that Kara had much background to make comparisons. He had his moments where nothing could come him down and he just cried for an entire hour non-stop but, apart from that, he was good. He seemed to have a schedule of his own and he never broke it, so they were always prepared for things like eating and pooping, which was a little funny, but very welcomed.</p><p>Kara was about to entangle the puppy from the weird-looking gadget Lena put together herself to hang things above Liam’s crib when her words struck her, finally sinking in. So <em>we </em>can show you off. <em>We </em>as in her and Lena. Her and Lena, like, doing something together. Showing the baby off together.</p><p>That’s when she froze in the middle of the room, baby still safe in her arms, but with only half of her mind taking notice of him.</p><p>She had no right... No <em>right </em>of adding herself into the small family plans like that. No right to call them a <em>we </em>when there wasn’t one. It was crazy to push her luck like that, to add her in their lives and just wait that they wanted her around but it was completely insane to start thinking that she was a part of the family as well. She wasn’t, doesn’t matter how many times she changes his diapers or if she learned how to prepare a bottle.</p><p>Alex was right. The whole thing had the potential to blow up right into her face and cause much, much demage.</p><p>What a dangerous thing to think.</p><p>Kara wasn't part of that small family. There wasn't a <em>we</em>. There were Lena and Liam, mother and son, and then Supergirl, who was acting up like an insanely mentally ill person who couldn't stay away.</p><p>Supergirl. That's all they knew. Supergirl. Lena didn't even know she uses glasses while out of her uniform. She didn't know her name.</p><p>She was nothing more than Supergirl and think that Supergirl could ever be a part of a 'we' was dangerous.</p><p>Too dangerous. Incredibly dangerous. Stupidly dangerous.</p><p>Alex was right. This entire thing was going to blow up right into her face and there was little she could do about it after it exploded. Maybe she should do something before it happened. Maybe she should pat the baby's round belly and call it done, turn around and...</p><p>"Sam will be here on Friday."</p><p>Absorbed in her own thoughts, Kara almost jumped out of her skin, but the hand that suddenly touched the small of her back stopped her from doing exactly that. The hand was warm, way warmer than it should feel with her suit on the way, and her voice was way closer than Kara was expecting it to be. They had touched only once before. Well, not on purpose, at least. They had brushed hands while passing the baby to one another and brushed arms while walking around to grab things, like diapers and baby bottles, but they had only purposely touched each other only once before. And Lena just placed her hand in the small of her back like it was a common gesture between them and Kara's chest swell up with a feeling that was, once again, too dangerous.</p><p>"She will stay with Liam during the day while I handle a few things. I'm sure she will want to take him to the park, even if I told her not to do it."</p><p>The hero, who had tilted her head to be able to see the other woman's face, noticed how she rolled her eyes at her friend's antics again. "Why not?" She managed to ask, even if her back felt tingly and her fingers had the urge wish to raise and touch the crinkle that popped in between the woman's eyebrows.</p><p>Lena bit her bottom lip - her very plump, deliciously-looking red lip - and seemed to hesitate for a second at the same time Kara's brain functions slowed down to at least half while she tried really, <em>really </em>hard not to stare. Honest to Rao, Kara was usually feeling like she could pass out at every second she spent with the woman, especially when she did things like that. It was ridiculous that she - the strongest being on Earth and half the Universe itself, the Girl of Steel, the last herd of Krypton, one of the two last Kryptonians still alive, resident hero - would be reduced to a bumbling mess every time Lena Luthor bit her lip, or smiled, or existed.</p><p>Ridiculously dangerous. She really should turn around and...</p><p>"I don't want it to sound like I feel like royalty or anything like that, but it can be very dangerous to... a Luthor to be outside," Lena quietly admitted with a deep, sad sigh. "No one knows he exists yet but they will find out soon and I don't want... I don't want Liam to have to deal with the same things..."</p><p>"The same things you go through," the blonde finished for her when the words died on her throat. Lena nodded, distractedly looking at the baby in the crib. She had a glint, a fire in her eyes, a protective urge and she almost looked like a mamma bear hovering over her babies, ready to attack and protect if needed. But then she blinked and her eyes darted back at the hero, offering her a half-honest grin before stepping away from her personal space, and Kara finally felt like she could breathe again. "I'm sorry you have to go through any of this."</p><p>The shorter woman shrugged as she walked around to pick up the baby in her arms, easily holding him against her chest. "That's fine. I'm used to it by now, but... He doesn't deserve this and I will do everything I can to keep him away from all of that." There was a pause where Kara just watched how Liam moved his very green eyes from the puppy to stare at his mother and a huge smile showed up on his face. That had to be the most aesthetic thing Kara had ever seen in her life, both of them together and smiling at each other. "I know it's sad but we haven't left this apartment since we came back from the hospital. I take him to the balcony outside when there's sun but nothing else."</p><p>It was, indeed, very sad. Kara couldn't imagine how it must feel like to not be around other people when there was an entire world outside. She knew how it felt to be alone, truly alone, with no one around, just darkness and silence, and even think about putting herself in any similar situation was too scary to linger on for too long. Considering Kara was the only one dropping by, at least that's what she thought was the case, she wasn't surprised that Lena hadn't kicked her out yet anymore.</p><p>Then she looked at Liam, the small baby who hadn't see the world outside yet. He hadn't seen trees that weren't painted on his walls, or birds, or buildings, or dogs! He hadn't even lived his life yet and that was because of ignorant people who thought one man's mistake was his entire family's mistake. It was, indeed, very sad.</p><p>"I can take them," the words were spoken before she could think about it but Kara didn't take them back. Even if she was certain she should leave just two minutes ago, she meant it.</p><p>Lena looked at her with one quirked eyebrow. "What?"</p><p>"I mean," Kara put both hands on her hips and stuffed her chest, although the whole pose thing was probably not working without the cape. "I could stay around and make sure nothing bad happens."</p><p>"Are you serious?"</p><p>Was she serious? Rao, she was too serious. Dangerously serious.</p><p>"Yeah! Just to be sure no one tries anything. If your friend is as stubborn as you make her sound, she will take him anyway. At least I will be there in case something happens."</p><p>It was clear on Lena's eyes that she was actually considering it. Probably the mom part, the part that was willing to do anything and everything to protect her kid, was screaming at her to take upon the offer, even if the possibility of something happening was very thin. Yet, she hesitated. "What about your job?"</p><p>The hero huffed and waved one hand in the air. "Pss, please. I will be fired anyway, who cares?"</p><p>The joke had the desired effect. Lena relaxed, smiled her beautiful, bright smile and nodded. "If you're sure."</p><p>"As sure as I am about potstickers being the best food ever!" Kara declared happily. "Supergirl, at your service, ma'am," she tilted her imaginary hat like an 1800 gentleman and bath in the laugh she earned for the gesture.</p><p>"Well, in that case..." The woman shook her head with a soft grin on her face - Kara wouldn't dare to say it was done affectionately, but it certainly looked like it - and turned to look at the baby like he could be a part of the conversation as well. "What do you think we treat Supergirl with potstickers tonight to thank her for her courageous act, Liam?" The only answer the baby gave was a happy gurgle, drool spilling from the side of his mouth and into Lena's t-shirt but the woman nodded like he had said the most reasonable of things. "It's settled then."</p><p>Kara nodded eagerly. "I knew Liam was on my side!" She approached them without thinking too much of it until she was close enough to bend her head and press a kiss on top of his little head. When she straightened her body again, Lena had what had to be the biggest smile she ever saw on her face and her brain shut entirely down for far longer than she would ever admit.</p><p>"I'm sure he will always have your side if you keep by his," the brunette replied, voice barely a whisper, before she offered the hero another blinding smile. "Can you hold him so I can find the restaurant phone?"</p><p>It became a second nature already so Kara didn't have to think much before sliding the boy into her own arms and he didn't fuss about being there either. However, she followed Lena outside the room because it was almost time for his last meal of the day and, boy, could that baby be loud when he wanted his food. She could fully understand him, though.</p><p>On the way, Kara moved Liam until he had his small bum on her palm and his back totally pressed against her forearm as she easily carried him that way, facing the way in front of them while swinging with her movements. He seemed to love it since the first time she tried, always laughing loudly and waving his little fists excitedly. Lena was already on the phone but she smiled when she saw them coming and that made Kara's heart skip a beat, trip over himself, stumble, do a backflip and land on his ass.</p><p>On the outside though, all she did was offer a smile back while she rocked Liam up and down. Instead of staring at Lena until she ended up declared clinically insane, Kara walked to the fridge, where she picked up a bottle to heat up. Every time she did it, she tried hard not to think about the fact that it was breastmilk that had literally come from Lena's... breasts. Because she shouldn't be thinking about Lena's... breasts.</p><p>Humming softly to calm Liam’s gurgles, Kara picked up the pan. She put it under the tap, opened it and let the water fall. With the new noise, Liam giggled rather loudly, moving his little body the best he could to take a better look. The blonde breathed a chuckle and raised him so his belly was against her chest, head on her shoulder, and gently patted his back. She was putting the pan on the stove when she heard Lena ending the call and joining them.</p><p>“Food will be here in half an hour.”</p><p>“Did you hear that, LK?” Kara rocked him again. “We’re going the get fed.”</p><p>“Do you want me to hold him?” Lena asked, although she didn’t look bothered to have Kara holding the baby with only one arm while the other one held the baby bottle directly into the water. The first time she had done that, Lena almost freaked out thinking she was about to give her hand a third-degree burn but now she seemed used to the image of Supergirl touching boiling water.</p><p>“Nah,” Kara shrugged. “I got this.”</p><p>Lena scoffed and the sound was almost foreign coming from her. “You are a blessing, in all honesty.”</p><p>“That’s not what my sister says,” she replied, trying to ignore the fact that her face heated up. “When we first met, she told me I should get out the way and go back to the hole I came from.”</p><p>Which was true. Alex did say that in a loud scream when Kara, according to her, ruined another day in her life. However, when they think about it now, it’s just funny to them. Alex was so mad because Kara still hadn't learned how to open doors and ended up ripping off the car’s door, which made they late for school, which was apparently something unacceptable for Alex. Either way, it was a good thing to say to deflate from the shameless compliment.</p><p>“Do you...” Lena interrupted herself so suddenly that Kara turned her head to look at her, once again surprised by how close the woman was. “Nevermind,” she mumbled after a second of deliberation.</p><p>“It’s okay, you can ask.” The hero tried to smile to calm Lena’s nerves but the shorter woman wasn’t looking at her, so she nudged her shoulder instead, very conscious of how much strength she was allowed to use. It was so light, in fact, that she barely moved at all but it made the trick because Lena huffed a laugh and shook her head.</p><p>“I was going to ask if you two have a good relationship now.”</p><p>“The best!” Kara nodded along with her words for emphasis. The bottle seemed ready, so she took it off the water and placed it on the counter so she could turn off the stove. By the time she had done that, Lena was already testing the milk in the back of her hand. “We’re really close. I mean, at first, Alex annoyed me like crazy. She still does actually but now I like her.”</p><p>Lena handed her the bottle again after Kara turned Liam over so he was lying on her arm. “Is it okay for you to tell me her name?”</p><p>Truth be told, she hadn’t even realized she said it but it would hardly do any good to linger on that, so Kara shrugged the best she could. “I guess I mentioned it to LK before, so now you both know it.”</p><p>She didn’t miss the smile on the brunette’s face while Lena pulled one of the kitchen chairs for her to sit on. Kara thanked her quietly as she eased herself into it, watching how Liam drank his milk eagerly. Lena watched them for a while with a soft grin on her lips, leaning against the back of another chair, until the heroine looked up with a gleeful smile.</p><p>“Food is here.”</p><p>Lena frowned, her eyes moving to the intercom while trying to understand how she missed it ringing. “Really?” she asked and pushed herself away to walk to where her purse was. “I didn’t hear the intercom,” came the distracted comment while she searched for her credit card.</p><p>Kara bit back a smile and winked at Liam like they were sharing the biggest secret, and the baby giggled back at her like he understood what was going on, which made things even funnier. Lena was still looking for her card when the intercom finally rang, and Kara had to swallow back a laugh when she saw the confusion spread over the woman's features. She froze, tilted her head to the side, then looked back at Kara with narrowed eyes.</p><p>“Did you...” she paused, thought it over, pulled her credit card off, opened and closed her mouth again, and it finally triggered the laugh out of Kara.</p><p>“Super hearing, remember?”</p><p>Lena’s face changed into understanding before she rolled her eyes and walked over to answer the call from the front desk. She didn’t say a thing before walking out of the apartment to go pick up their food – since no one was authorized of getting up to her floor – and then, before she even knew what was going on, Kara was alone with the baby in the ridiculously big penthouse.</p><p>“Hi, baby boy,” she cooed at him. In the back of her mind, she wondered if he was going to chose that moment to start crying, just to make her look bad or cause a commotion, but Liam only kept gingerly drinking from his bottle, green eyes staring back at her. “If you promise not to tell anyone, I can tell you my real name.” Nothing, not even a blink, and Kara chuckled to herself. “It’s Kara. We have something in common, my name is also too small for a nickname.” This time he took a huge intake of breath, almost choking on his milk, but remained unfazed. “Maybe when you learn how to speak, you can give me one, like I gave you yours.”</p><p>Liam blinked, sighed, and then closed his eyes. His thin lips started slowing down their sucking movements and his hands lost some of the strength they had around the bottle. He couldn’t hold it yet, of course, but he liked to have his hands on it like he was afraid someone would try to take it away from him at any moment. Again, Kara could relate.</p><p>By the looks of it, he would be falling asleep at any moment now, so Kara took the bottle away and moved him to make him burp before he could just sleep like that. She was patting his back when Lena returned, holding a large-sized takeout card box, and they shared a smile across the room.</p><p>Not for the first time, worriedly, Kara’s brain shut down before a thought started repeating itself on her head. <em>Rao, I could get used to this.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kara: I'm capable of doing anything and everything for this family.<br/>Lena: Liam just pooped, can you change his diaper?<br/>Kara: ... You know what? I have a fire to put down, so I will just go<br/>Lena: I can give you chocolate.<br/>Kara: Yeah, but I can just buy it.<br/>Lena: What about a smile?<br/>Kara: ... Why are you still holding him? Hand me the baby, woman!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Jumping into the black hole</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't think a character has been so requested for in all history of my writing days as Samantha Arias in this fanfic hahaha<br/>To anyone expecting for her, here she is! Don't worry, we will get much more of her in the future</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So...” Kara fought the urgency to raise her hand to fiddle with glasses that weren’t on her face, the member twitching by her side like it was rebelling against her. For some reason, Lena’s friend made her nervous. Like, really nervous, and the tone she was using wasn’t making it easier for her. “Lena said you were doing a bodyguard job to the side.”</p><p>The blonde frowned, not sure if the woman was telling the truth or if she was messing with her – probably the last. They were walking towards National City’s Park from Lena’s apartment for a couple of minutes now. As they had expected, Sam – Samantha, from what she gathered – was insistent on the fact that Liam had to see the outside world and spend some time in nature. Lena tried to argue saying it was dangerous for both of them if anyone found out whose son he was, that National City’s Park five trees could hardly be considerate nature, and that Sam couldn’t just kidnap her kid like that.</p><p>Sam said she was going to do it anyway, so that’s how Kara ended up following the woman around.</p><p>Her first suggestion was that she just flew above Sam so no one got suspicious but the woman got a glimpse of that plan and stated that she would feel much safer it Supergirl walked by her side. Which, now that Kara thought about it, was just an excuse to get her close enough to ask questions. It only made Kara thousand times more nervous.</p><p>“Not for everybody,” Kara admitted under her breath as her eyes swept around them to make sure the path was clean. Which of course it was because no one was plotting against a baby.</p><p>“Well, if you don’t mind me asking...” Sam waited for a second, probably to give her time to run if she wanted, before she continued with mirth behind her eyes. “What the actual Hell are you doing here?”</p><p>She could hear in the way her words seem tight, non-hesitant, and blunt that Sam doesn't entirely trust her. Or that she's too confused to understand why Kara was even there, following her around, glaring at people who look their way. And, okay, maybe she didn't calculate it right and having Supergirl following a woman with a stroller around might have brought much more attention to the said woman than she predicted would do, and it's like every eye on National City had taken notice of the baby happily looking around, which was exactly what she didn't want but she was there to keep Liam safe. If needed, although, hopefully, it won't.</p><p>"Just making sure everything is okay," she responded finally, keeping her eyes glued on the ground for several seconds before she puffed her chest again, looking more certain of herself. "Why? Is there a problem, Samantha?"</p><p>The woman scoffs, rather loudly, and all of Kara's resolve seemed to melt away in the sound of disdain. "You can call me Ms. Arias for now, Supergirl. Unless you want to share your name with me so we can be on first name base."</p><p>She had spent a total of ten minutes with the woman now but she can understand why she's friends with Lena. They share the same dry humor and level of sarcasm that has Kara battling to follow. The difference is that, in Lena, it sounds cute, while Samantha - or Ms. Arias - is just annoying her. Come to think about it, that's just another red flag. Sarcasm on Lena: dangerously cute.</p><p>Frowning to herself, unhappy about her train of thoughts, Kara chose not to answer. They kept walking, so slow that Kara was almost tempted to ask if she was doing that on purpose to annoy her even further. Other than that, nothing else happened. People were too busy glaring mouth-opened at Supergirl sauntering down the street to do anything else. In fact, she was sure there was a teenager who almost got run over a car because he was looking over his shoulder at them. She could have saved him but there was no way she would step away from that stroller, eminent threat or not.</p><p>"You're a good bodyguard, at least," she heard the tall brunette mumbling by her side. Ms. Arias had same height as her and she didn't look even a little intimidated by Supergirl, which put her at the edge because the woman was clearly suspicious of her and also looked like she was not backing away from this. "Your scowl is scaring everyone away."</p><p>Kara blinked and looked around for a second. People were, as pointed, crossing streets, finding excuses to take a huge turn around them, or simply turning around and walking away. With a sigh, she tried to soften her features, adding a little smile - that just probably made her look like she was in pain - and uncrossed her arms.</p><p>"Not much better."</p><p>This time, she scoffed. "I'm sorry, Ms. Arias, but I'm not trying to get people to come and greet us."</p><p>"Which makes me ask again: The actual fuck are you doing here?"</p><p>The blunt, sharp and rude words almost made Kara gasp. There was a baby! Rao! With that colorful vocabulary, she and Alex would be the best friends, although her sister didn't need anyone else encouraging her behavior.</p><p>"To protect," was her answer, shot between gritted teeth.</p><p>"Look," the woman stopped walking suddenly, causing Kara to stop as well, a couple of steps in front of her. The blonde turned on her heels, eyes scanning the space around like someone was about to jump from one of the trash cans. "It's not like I don't agree Lena needs protection, you will never hear me saying this. Sign my name at first on the list of people who agree she does. What I'm having a hard time understanding is why Lena hired <em>you</em> to protect Liam and, even more so, why you even agreed to do this. So you can tell me and we move on from this, or I keep glaring at you, which will make you glare at me, and we end up setting each other on fire."</p><p>Okay, well, that was a lot of honesty said in one single breath. If her mind wasn't too stuck on the word "hire", Kara could have been impressed. Instead, she frowned again.</p><p>Lena told her she <em>hired</em> her? Like a, well, a bodyguard? She didn't. Kara offered to do this, she wasn't hired for it. And she, for sure, wasn't getting paid for it.</p><p>"I wasn't..." she stopped when she noticed how harsh her words sounded, even to her. Kara took a deep breath and tried again. "I'm not a bodyguard. I'm not getting paid or anything. Lena didn't... hire me."</p><p>Before she could think if she should tell Lena's friend that the woman lied to her, Sam hummed, pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side. "Well," her eyes moved to the baby, then back at the hero, "she told me you suggested it."</p><p>"I did."</p><p>"And that you weren't a bodyguard but I thought she said that so I wouldn't freak out or say she was overreacting. I mean, get the Girl of Steel to protect a baby seems a little... excessive."</p><p>Kara honestly couldn't see the problem in that. "You thought she lied to you?"</p><p>"You have to agree with me that this," Samantha's hand waved in front of the hero as both eyebrows shot up to her hairline, "is a bit crazy to understand. I mean, Supergirl going all... Secret Service over my godson. Except that the Secret Service isn't supposed to use red and blue, I guess."</p><p>Kara shrugged, not sure there was anything else she could say to make it look less crazy - less exactly what it was. "Yes, well, here I am. So we can take a walk around the park and go back before his nap time."</p><p>Sam arched one eyebrow at her, clearly in a challenge that Kara still wasn't sure what was, and slowly deflated the idea with a shake of her head. "I promised my daughter I would pick her up at the hotel for ice cream."</p><p>"Your daughter?"</p><p>Ms. Arias's daughter, indeed.</p><p>They did take a walk around the park between awkward silence and more curious glances before Sam pulled out her phone to text her daughter, who had stayed behind at the hotel to finish some of her homework. Then they walked to the hotel they were staying and this time Kara decided to push the stroller. Liam was finally sleeping, Sam was distractedly texting by her side, birds were singing and horns were off everywhere, and Kara couldn't help but think that that little adventure would have been way more pleasable with Lena. Maybe she could convince the woman to take Liam out again the next day. The baby needed fresh air and see the world, and the adults could... walk side by side for a while. That would be nice.</p><p>Regardless of the plans she was doing inside her head, she ended up meeting Sam's daughter just outside the hotel. The girl couldn't be more than twelve, Kara was at least sure of that, but she didn't have time to ask because the girl jumped into a sprint of speaking the second she saw Supergirl walking with her mother and a baby. She asked so many questions and told her so many random stories that Kara felt like her ears were about to fall when they finally made it to the ice cream shop.</p><p>"And, like, Rebecca said Superman is better," apparently twelve years girls liked to discuss superheroes as well, Kara learned. "But I told her that you're way stronger than him!" Maybe not way stronger than Kal, at least not with the amount of 'a' the girl put in the word, but she was stronger than him and it did wonderful things to her ego, so she didn't correct her.</p><p>"Ruby, what will you want, sweetie?" Sam asked while she motioned for a chair so her daughter could sit on.</p><p>Kara eyed the space quickly before she decided it was safe to find a chair for herself. She made sure to put the chair against a wall so she wouldn't get surprised from behind, then pushed the stroller to be right in front of her so she could watch Liam gladly sleeping. Who, on Rao’s name, would attack a baby she would never be able to guess, but better safe than sorry. Ruby was already talking before Kara was even comfortable on her chair but she couldn't find it in her to dislike the girl. She was cute, fun, and clever. Definitely overly excited but she meant well.</p><p>"Strawberry milkshake!"</p><p>Sam nodded, looking at her daughter with a soft, maternal smile. "Do you want anything?" And the smile was gone when she turned to look at the hero. Kara shook her head, thinking that she would probably laugh at the dramatic change if she tried to speak. "Are you sure? You're already not getting paid for any of this."</p><p>That's how Kara ended up drinking a chocolate milkshake, sitting beside an excited little girl and her strawberry milkshake, watching over a sleepy baby, with a woman watching her intently from across the table with a vanilla ice cream cone. Kara tried to ignore the stares and whispers because she could admit that the image was weird - Supergirl drinking a milkshake with two other people and a baby - but it still made her uncomfortable. Surely not her best idea.</p><p>It could have gone way wronger than that though, so she was counting it as a victory. Or half victory. She still thought it would have been better if Lena was there.</p><p>Would she drink a milkshake or eat ice cream? What's her favorite flavor? She looks like someone who might like those fruit ones, the ones Kara avoids because why would people put fruit on ice cream? Maybe lemon. Lena looks like someone who walks ten blocks to the ice cream shop to buy lemon ice cream. And sparkling water.</p><p>For his own good, Kara prayed Liam would like chocolate like her.</p><p>"Are you friends with auntie Lena?"</p><p>Kara moved her eyes from the green straw of her milkshake to watch the girl sitting by her side, kicking her legs in the air and looking up at Supergirl like she was a star. She definitely could never hate that kid. "Sort of," she replied with a shrug, conscious of the woman glaring at her. Sam said she would stop glaring if she answered the question, the prick.</p><p>"We're going to have dinner with her tonight. You should go with us!"</p><p>"Ruby," came the warning in the mom's voice.</p><p>"What?" The girl looked at her mother with wide innocent eyes. "She's auntie Lena's friend!"</p><p>"<em>Sort of </em>friend," Samantha corrected with a quick glance at Kara, quirking one eyebrow. "And you can't invite someone to other people's home."</p><p>Ruby sighed, her eyes turning sadly to stare at her lap and Kara had to grip her milkshake a bit harder to stop her hand from reaching out to awkwardly pat her back. But the information she provided was useful. If they were having dinner at Lena's, Kara shouldn't drop by until later than usual if she wished to avoid more questions. Liam would probably be already asleep by then and she would miss his cute yawns. Which gave her no reason for her to even go there, in the first place.</p><p>The possibility of not seeing Lena that night made her sad. Really sad. Sadder than she should have been. Dangerously sad.</p><p>And how was she supposed to ask her to take a walk in the park if they wouldn't see each other?</p><p>Thankfully, Ruby got distracted over a dog walking across the street and Kara was saved from answering her invitation. Once the milkshakes were gone, they started making their way back to Lena's apartment, this time with Ruby jumping around her while chatting like her life depended on that. Kara wasn't sure but Ms. Arias looked far more amused by it than she was voicing, especially because she kept suggesting new subjects every time her daughter took a second to breathe. And don't get her wrong, Kara loves children, she just never had to deal with one before and she had no idea what to do or how to act around Ruby but the girl seemed to be handling her awkwardness just fine.</p><p>The second they reached Lena's building, and ultimately Kara's last stop, Sam sent her daughter inside first with the spare keys, and the girl ran away so fast that Kara thought she might be a superhero too. Once they were alone, the brunette turned to stare at her with her arms crossed and a smug smile that made Kara nervous.</p><p>"Did you know Lena and I are best friends?"</p><p>"I..." Kara stumbled, blinked, and frowned. "I knew you were friends."</p><p>"Yes, well, we're best friends. We tell each other everything."</p><p>Kara didn't usually sweat. Something about the yellow sun making it almost impossible for her body to have such a reaction. However, right in that second, she could feel the beginning of cold sweat starting right in the middle of her back. There was nothing yellow sun could do for her nerves.</p><p>To be fair, she shouldn't be that afraid that Lena shared things with her friend - her best friend - but what scared her was the fact that there was someone else, one more person, who knew Supergirl had been paying visits to Lena Luthor and her son late at night. Someone else who was asking why and wondering what was going on with her. One more person to whom she had no answers to give.</p><p>(Well, truth be told, she have an answer. It just wasn't one she was ready to acknowledge it just yet.)</p><p>Her panic didn't have enough time to settle on her bones because suddenly Ms. Arias was leaning very into her personal space, her smile was gone and she looked more serious than she had been all day. "I told Lena this is crazy, that she should put better lockers to keep the stray cats out.” Kara gulped. “If you're doing this to hurt her or Liam in any way, I will find a way and I will kill you. I’m not kidding, you just try me. A hair out of place or a tear they drop and you will take your last breath and I will make sure of it, Supergirl."</p><p>She and Alex would definitely get along.</p><p>Which was exactly what her sister said after she was done telling this tale.</p><p>"I like her," Alex smiled around her beer. "She seems reasonable. God knows we're scarce in this whole story."</p><p>Kara sighed from her place on the couch, hanging upside down with her legs propped on the back of the couch while hugging a pillow. "Yes, well, she doesn't like me very much."</p><p>"To be fair, Kara, neither would I if I wasn't your sister."</p><p>There it was, the sarcasm and irony. Kara rolled her eyes so hard that for a second it looked like they would get stuck on her skull. She had a Hell of a day - week, couple of months - and she didn't need Alex or Ms. Arias making her life any harder.</p><p>It's not like Kara was oblivious to what she was doing. Maybe, at first, she was - not sure, confused, wondering - but after almost four months, she knew what was going on.</p><p>She was pining.</p><p>Quite pathetically, yes, but that's what it was. Pining. She was pining after Lena, as wrong as it might be.</p><p>Not wrong because Lena was a woman - duh, alien! - or because she was a Luthor - again, different from her family. But because Lena wasn't interested in her that way. There was a couple of reasons why she let Kara go to her apartment every night - she might need help, she's afraid to kick Supergirl out, she needed a slave anyway, loneliness - but Kara was sure it had nothing to do with the same reasons why Kara showed up every freaking night. Because Lena just had a baby, there was a lot in her head, and she probably disliked anyone who might have anything to do with her brother ending up in jail. And she was straight. Probably. And Earth people were very strict with their sexuality - she learned it the harsh way.</p><p>Being with Lena and Liam made Kara feel warm inside, and, okay, maybe she wanted to, like, do more than change diapers twice a day. She had a dream just a week before where they - the three of them - were having a picnic in whatever the place was. Lena was sitting on her lap and Liam was crawling in front of them, so, yes, to Kara it was very clear what her heart wanted.</p><p>However, the list of reasons why he would never get that was long and growing, and it gave her a heartache every time she thought about it. Supergirl, Supergirl and Supergirl made the top 3, right above "Lena doesn't like me that way", "her family is trying to kill me", "Alex will kill me", "I don't even have a job anymore", "did I mention Supergirl?", "I have been acting like a stalker and she's probably scared", "they deserve better than someone who has to hide half of their life" and "her friend is crazy".</p><p>That trigged another list on her head - of reasons she wanted it to happen - and it had the potential of being a bigger list but didn't annulate the other one. Even if "she's smart, clever, sweet, a great mother, emphatic, loving and, oh, so pretty", "my mother would love her", "the cutest baby who I already adore" and "Alex can't be mad if she loves me back" are very good arguments.</p><p>"Damn," she breathed out with another deep sigh, mortified by the things she was feeling for the woman who had been nothing but understanding and indulgent in her craziness.</p><p>"We can agree on that, at least." Her sister sighed, deeply and a bit tiredly, and pushed herself up. She made a quick stop to pinch Kara's thigh on the couch, earning a hiss and a glare. "I will leave now so you can go be a stalker in peace. Think you can take a break from this criminal life to have a sister's night tomorrow?"</p><p>"I won't be going there tonight. Lena is having dinner with them."</p><p>"Wow, you made it sound like someone kicked a bowl of potstickers right in front of you," Alex mocked. Kara didn't reply - she also would deny whimpering like someone had, indeed, kicked potstickers in front of her - but she also didn't miss the gigantic eye roll her sister performed. "Christ, Kara. Did she said you couldn't go?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"So go."</p><p>"But..."</p><p>"You show up every night, don't you? If she didn't explicitly said you couldn't go, knowing that you would because you didn't know she has plans, means she still wants you to go."</p><p>Hopeful, bright, wide blue eyes turned to stare at Alex as though she had just promised to buy her a potstickers only restaurant. It was quite sickening. "You think?"</p><p>Alex huffed. "I'm out of here. Text me later about tomorrow."</p><p>Kara did text Alex about sisters night, promising they could do it but only if Alex buy all pizza she could eat, but she was too busy flying to read the reply. She would like to believe she would get her pizzas.</p><p>It was either pure luck or Rao was looking after her because Lena was alone when Kara got there. She was standing by the sink, washing the dishes in silence, and Kara may or may not have stared at her from the side of her building for a little while. The young woman was using a large hoodie and black leggings, her hair was up in a loose bun, and she just looked so... perfect.</p><p>But Kara would never admit staring at her for over five minutes, so whatever.</p><p>The hero slipped inside after knocking on the balcony floor to announce her arrival and she was rewarded with a large smile when Lena spotted her over her shoulder. Kara was glad she quickly turned back to the dishes so she missed when the tripped over the small step between the balcony and the inside. She was a loser, really. That was the only way to put it. There was no other way to describe a person who loses every body function when a pretty - no matter how damn pretty - lady smiles at them.</p><p>Kara recovered herself by clearing her throat and slowly walking inside the kitchen with both hands on her hips. "Good evening."</p><p>Lena chuckled at the formality, throwing her another gaze. "Hi, Supergirl. You're later than usual."</p><p>Oh, Rao. Lena wasn't mad she showed up. Yes! Was she waiting for her? Wait... does Lena waits for her to show up every night?</p><p>"I was talking with my sister," Kara offered the excuse while walking over to grab a dishrag to dry the dishes that were already clean. Liam was sleeping, she could hear it, and there was no reason for her to be there. Well, no reason other than that she <em>wanted </em>to be there.</p><p>Like, real bad.</p><p>"You don't have to."</p><p>"I insist," the blonde shrugged and kept working quietly by Lena's side. She used her superspeed to dry everything and then waited for Lena to hand her more with a smile.</p><p>"I was having dinner with Sam and Ruby," Lena commented after a minute or so, and Kara hummed to indicate she was hearing, although she didn't admit already knowing about it. "We ordered pizza."</p><p>"Oh, man!" The hero giggled. "Can't believe I missed it."</p><p>The shorter woman turned off the faucet and Kara automatically offered the rag so she could dry her hands. The woman did as it was prompted, offering her a small grin, and Kara tried to focus all her attention in the dishrag wiggling into her hold and not in the way Lena's lips curled. Once she was done, Lena turned around so she could reach out for the oven, from where she pulled a large pizza box that she put on top of the kitchen island.</p><p>"Lucky for you," she started with a wink, "I ordered some for you as well."</p><p>Lena was hoping that she would show up.</p><p>If not, there was no reason for her to buy her food. And how more perfect could Lena get? She was smart, funny, pretty, AND buys her food? Rao, the codex machines back in Krypton would have a blast with her.</p><p>"You're amazing," Kara breathed out before rushing to reach her pizza. It was half mozzarella and half pepperoni, and that settled it. Kara was never going away.</p><p>She had just taken a huge bite of her first slice when a chuckle sounded behind her. Chewing non-stop, she turned around holding the slice in front of her face, and eyed Lena with almost no shame at all.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>Lena shook her head, clearly amused if her smile said anything. "Do all Kryptonians love food or is it a way to your heart only?"</p><p>Kara was never good at flirting, hence pass experiences - some bad ones. Her first kiss she didn't even realize it was about to happen until their lips were already touching - and that explained the broken nose. She didn't realize Mon-El was hitting on her until he asked her mom if he could ask her out - which, by the way, weird. James, the man who she went on a date with and only realized it was a date after it was over and he kissed her. Winn, who had to take her to a roof to tell her about his feelings despite the fact that he followed her around for almost an entire year like a lost puppy. And the list goes around for a little bit, people who other people had to point out that they were flirting.</p><p>But that was flirting, right? Maybe not if you consider only the words but Lena was giving her a smile that Kara wasn't sure she had seen before or not. It was slightly crooked and her red lips were looking very... kissable. Her eyes were narrowed just a tiny bit, with mirth hidden behind green orbs, and her voice was sulkier than it was a minute ago.</p><p>So it had to be flirting, right?</p><p>Kara didn't know much about human costumes of courtship - because Krypton was way easier than it is on Earth, like there's no flirting at all - but she was almost sure - 73,56% - that Lena was flirting with her.</p><p>So maybe she wasn't such a loser after all. Maybe. Hopefully.</p><p>Swallowing hard, way harder than needed, Kara felt a flush rise from her chest and heat up her neck and entire face, including her ears. "Oh, I, uh... Well, we need more food because of the, uh, sun..." Oh, no. Lena was smiling at her in that soft way again. Her brain was two seconds of completely shutting down. "But I just really like..." So unfair. "Earth food."</p><p>The last two words came out in a breathless whisper and Kara immediately shoved more food inside her mouth before she could say something else - like how gorgeous Lena looked under the bright light of her kitchen, using comfortable clothes and a soft sock. And was that a black National City University hoodie? She hadn't realized it before.</p><p>"Nice hoodie," the hero grumbled around the pizza stuffed inside her mouth and Lena thankfully turned her green eyes away to look down at her torso, and Kara felt that she could breathe again. "Did you came here to graduate?"</p><p>The Luthor raised her eyes again while shaking her head before she moved back to the sink to finish washing the last two dirty dishes. "No. I went to MIT and Oxford."</p><p>If Kara didn't have super reflexes, she could have chocked on her pizza. Even so, she coughed and stared open-mouthed at the other woman's back. "You... You went to both?"</p><p>Lena hummed. "I made MIT for the science and technology program. Oxford has a good business program, though. And it was farter away too."</p><p>The blonde couldn't help the impressed whistle that her body wanted to give. She nodded to herself and grabbed another slice of pizza to get busy. She knew Lena was smart but damn. That was another level. Kara wondered if Lena would lose her mind with the countless technologies stocked at the Fortress of Solitude. Could she take her there? Probably not, but just imagining the look on Lena's face made her feel amazing.</p><p>"Anyway," Lena's voice pulled her away from her vivid imagination. "That's Sam's. She gave me when I was pregnant with Liam because, according to her, I had nothing comfortable to wear and I would need it.."</p><p>"I have a similar one," Kara found herself saying before she could stop herself. Since she already started, and Lena was giving her hopeful eyes, she decided to finish with an explanation. "It's gray and I have the matching pants too. It's really comfortable."</p><p>Finally done with the dishes, Lena turned off the faucet and turned around while drying her hand in the rag. She was eyeing Kara weirdly, and the blonde wondered if she wanted to ask for more information and was scolding herself not to ask. She didn't ask, thankfully, but offered Kara a soft smile instead.</p><p>"I believe Ruby left one of her sodas in here, in case you want some."</p><p>"I'm good. Thanks for the pizza." Kara took another slice before pointing at the box with a quirked eyebrow. Lena shook her head, denying a piece, and the hero shrugged to herself. She <em>was </em>hungry.</p><p>"Sam said she took Supergirl to drink milkshake today." Every word was filled with amusement and it was clear Lena was holding back a chuckle, so Kara decided it was okay to kick Sam's ass the next time she saw her.</p><p>"Not like that," the eating human mumbled in her defense. "She took Ruby for a milkshake and I just tagged along."</p><p>At that, Lena laughed happily, the sound filling the space around them and making Kara's heart jump in her chest. "It doesn't really matter what happened. I'm sure Sam will spread the news to make it sound like she took you for ice cream and not Ruby."</p><p>Kara groaned, ducking her head. "So much for trying to look like a badass."</p><p>With a renewed laugh, the shorter woman advanced until she was pressing a cold humid palm on the hero's forearm. The skin underneath the touch, even with her suit on the way, instantly started to tingle, and Kara bit her bottom lip hard and quite painfully.</p><p>"Don't worry, Supergirl," Lena leaned forward a few inches and winked at her. "I'm sure your image is safe."</p><p>"You think?" Kara gulped after speaking.</p><p>By the way Lena's eyes sparkled, she probably noticed her reaction and a sinful smile curled her lips. "Of course." Her hand squeezed the hero's arm tightly. "I doubt anyone ever thought you were a badass."</p><p>Kara's mouth immediately hung open in shock and an indignant sound raised from the back of her throat while she watched the woman walking away with a jump in her step, as though as she was proud of her come back. The blonde ended up huffing loudly but allowed the woman to have the last word - although she wasn't sure how she could have turned that around. Instead, the hero used her superspeed to dry and put the dishes and other utensils away when she saw Lena was picking up other stuff from the living room, like a baby blanket, an empty bottle, and the puppy Kara gave Liam.</p><p>"So..." Kara started after a few seconds. "I was thinking that maybe, if you want to, if you think it would be nice, and you can say no, of course, like, I wouldn't be mad or anything, in fact, I would totally understand, but I was thinking this afternoon and wondered if you would like to, and Liam too, of course, we would never leave him behind, but I felt like I should invite him officially, and..."</p><p>"Supergirl, breathe, please."</p><p>And she did, her lungs burning when the air finally made it's way inside. Lena was watching her from across the living room, holding the puppy and looking at her with a one-sided grin, and Kara wondered how it would be like to receive that look every day.</p><p>"That's it. Now, from the start. What have you been thinking and wondering so hard?"</p><p>There was a small note of teasing in her voice but there was no judgment in her expression. That made Kara feel comfortable enough to finally put her invitation out, even if it was spoken in one fast phrase. "Maybe we could go to the park again tomorrow."</p><p>Lena tilted her head to the side, her face already twisting to a sorrowful expression, but her eyes were almost pleading, like she truly wanted to say yes and was forced to go against it. "I would love to, but..."</p><p>"So, come with me!" In a burst of confidence, Kara interrupted her. She added a smile in hopes it would put the woman more at ease and that she would feel more compelled to agree. "We can take Liam to see the ducks!"</p><p>"There are ducks at the park?" Her brows were furrowed in confusion now and, damn, if she didn't look even cuter.</p><p>Kara nodded eagerly. "By the lake! There's this little family who spends the day swing by it. They showed up last year." She didn't add that Supergirl was probably responsible for that. There was more hesitation, a bit of barely hidden excitement, but no positive answer yet, so Kara decided to keep talking. “My sister wants to have a girls' night tomorrow, so I thought we could meet at the park instead.”</p><p>Because the possibility of not seeing one of them even for one day was way more painful than it should be, but yet very real. Dangerously real.</p><p>Maybe Kara wasn’t stressing this out enough but she was in a dangerous situation.</p><p>Her argument apparently worked just fine because Lena finally nodded. Her hands, Kara noticed, were clutching the puppy against her chest and she was holding back a smile by biting the inside of her cheeks. With the comfortable clothes and her expression., Kara had no hopes of being able to make her lungs function ever again.</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>It was pure instinct that made Kara react. “Perfect! I will come and get you, and we can walk there together like we did today.”</p><p>The brunette smiled happily, green eyes slowly lowering to the puppy, then moving back at Kara, then back to the puppy, like she wasn’t sure about saying something or not. Finally, after Kara was starting to feel like she might talk again, Lena moved her hands around in a weird gesture, using the stuffed dog to point in the hallway.</p><p>“Liam is already sleeping but if you want to...”</p><p>And she might have seen the boy just a few hours prior but, Rao, did she wanted to see his little face again. Liam was easily the cutest baby she ever saw and just being around him made her chest feel fuller and warmer. So, yes, she wanted to steal a glance at him.</p><p>Liam was sound asleep in his crib and Kara smiled down at the baby, forgetting all about the loud world outside and every other problem she faced in her very busy week. Rao, Lena’s baby was so beautiful. Liam had tufts of dark hair, long eyelashes, pink cheeks, green eyes and teeny tiny fingers who grabbed her hair whenever he could. Kara couldn’t really explain it, that was only part of her unusual situation that she couldn’t put into words, but something had settled inside her the first time she locked eyes with the baby in the hospital, still dirty in blood and weird goo, and crying from the top of his lungs. It was like a click but the click was still there even four months later.</p><p>She cared for Liam instantly. She could feel affection swelling up her chest and clouding her mind, and it had started when she first held the boy in her arms. Hell, it was probably since she first heard his unsteady heartbeat, so in sync with his mother. She just cared, truly, deeply and undoubtedly. And that was the part Kara couldn’t explain. She didn’t know if it was because he was Lena’s son, or if it was because all of Alex’s teasing was right and she was actually crazy. Regardless of the reason, Kara knew what she felt and what it meant for her.</p><p>“Sleep well, LK,” Kara whispered under her breath as she tucked the blankets around him. Before taking a step back, she bopped his nose, happy to see that he didn’t even move. If he was awake, he might have blurted a few “buh, guh, gah” at her, or tried to reach for her hair to pull at it but asleep there was nothing that could wake him up.</p><p>Lena was waiting in the hallway and Kara wasn’t sure if she was watching her or not. However, considering the way the shorter woman was smiling, she probably was. And that was okay, Kara thought, because she would do anything to get that sort of smile out of her.</p><p>“It’s a big day for him tomorrow.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Sam is staying with him in the morning while I do some work things. She’s convinced she’s his favorite auntie.” There it was, the fond eye roll and the short grin that came when Lena was talking about the scarce people she cared for.</p><p>“Do you want me to tell her the truth?” the hero asked with a hint of teasing. It might be true, she did see how much Liam enjoyed spending some time with Sam and Ruby but she would love to tell the woman otherwise.</p><p>“Please, don’t. I think it would break her heart.” Lena offered her a wink and a half-smile. “I’m also giving him his first solid food. I learned how to make porridge.” Lena looked proud of it and Kara couldn’t help but smile as well. “He’s four months already. He’s growing up so fast.”</p><p>That was something Kara could most certainly agree with. “Yes! He was sitting in his stroller today.” She was sure Ruby would have already told Lena everything about their day since the girl seemed unable to hold many secrets, but the shorter human hummed all the same.</p><p>"I was about to make some tea, if you want some," as to exemplify her point, Lena pointed at the kitchen behind Kara.</p><p>Since Kara had no wish to leave just yet, she nodded eagerly, happy for an opportunity to stay for a while longer. "Sure."</p><p>The house owner smiled, her eyes sparkling with something Kara couldn't exactly pinpoint, but she followed the woman like a very well behaved lap dog - probably looking like one too. Lena moved to grab the kettle, then moved to the sink to fill it with water, so the blonde easily walked around the kitchen space to grab two mugs from the top cabinet and the tea bags from the small wooden box Lena kept them. Once the water was warm enough, the shorter woman filled the mugs, all the while enjoying the easy silence they fell into.</p><p>Kara stepped in to help Lena with the mugs and noticed the sugar cubs lying by the corner of the counter. "LK saw a dog at the park, he was chasing the pigeons," she started and without thinking she reached out for the sugar, opening the pod and picking three sugar cubs from it, before dropping into her mug. She knew Lena drank her tea with nothing, so she didn't bother asking. Instead, she just pushed it back and fished for a spoon inside the cutlery drawer. "He thought that was hilarious."</p><p>She didn't notice that Lena was staring at her until she turned around, spoon swirling inside her mug. Her smile fell an inch when she saw the arched eyebrow and pursed lips, her hand freezing in place. "Is there anything else you lied to me about?" Lena asked suddenly</p><p>"What?" Kara squeaked out, her voice going high and pitch.</p><p>"The sugar," Lena pointed at her mug and blue eyes followed her movement, althought filled with confusion still. "You told me you took your tea with no sugar."</p><p>"Oh!" The blonde exclaimed loudly, her eyes went wide and she immediately started waving the hand with the small spoon around wildly. "I, uh, just, I don't..." A smile slowly curled Lena's lips up, and Kara tried to tell herself she was being played at but her mouth had a mind of its own - and she really should get a grip on her rambling. “I was just...”</p><p>"It's okay," Lena interrupted her by raising one hand and it was like she flicked a switch and the hero in front of her froze like a statue. "I'm just messing with you. I had my suspicions that you have a sweet tooth."</p><p>"Kara."</p><p>If someone asked, which Alex no doubtedly would, Kara would forever blame a series of things mixed together to shut down her brain and allow her mouth to run loose. It was the way Lena was comfortably standing in front of her with a glint in her eyes and a smirk on her plump lips. It was the way she was standing barefoot on the floor with soft, fluffy socks, her large sweatpants and comfortable-looking hoodie. It was the way Kara’s heart beat faster around her and the way Lena's heart seemed to slow down in her presence. It was the way they were drinking tea in the middle of the night.</p><p>"Uh?" And it was undoubtedly the way Lena's brows furrowed when she was confused, the way her nose scrunched when she laughed, and the way her green eyes acquired a mischievous glint sometimes.</p><p>"My name," the hero explained with a shrug. She put the spoon back on her tea and started to spun the liquid around again so she had something else to look at. It was never easy when she told someone about her identity, although that was the first time she, dressed as Supergirl and talking to someone who only knew her as her hero alter-ego, exposed her human identity. Her palms felt a little sweaty. "I mean, that's my name, Kara."</p><p>There was no reply. Not a word, not even a change in the air. For a second, Kara wondered if she had even said the words or if it was just inside her head. But then she looked up, taking a last leap of confidence, and saw it. The soft way Lena was looking at her, with the most honest smile she had ever seen on her face, her eyes crinkling to the side and, overall, looking like Kara had just given her the best gift ever, as though she had blessed her somehow.</p><p>The hero gulped and squirmed in place, not sure what to do with the look she was receiving. Well, she knew what she <em>wanted </em>to do but that would be a huge jump to a blackhole she had no idea where would take her. So instead she cleared her throat and looked back at her tea. If she mixed it for a while longer, it would create a void.</p><p>"Yeah," Kara nodded. "That's, uh, that's my real name."</p><p>"Thank you."</p><p>Kara's eyes snapped up so fast that, if she was human, she would be dizzy. Lena's expression hadn't changed. "For what?"</p><p>"For telling me," the shorter woman explained. "For trusting me. Thank you."</p><p>The blonde nodded, even if she didn't agree that she should be thanked for that. "I just... I wanted to tell you."</p><p>"Thank you," the woman repeated with even more emotion on her voice.</p><p>Kara ducked her head to hide the faint blush on her cheeks and looked up at the shorter woman. "Yes, well, that's the boring part of my life, I doubt you would get that excited if you knew."</p><p>"No," Lena's voice was firm, no space for discussion, but wasn't sharp. Kara reacted like they were magnets when Lena took a step forward. The woman's hand came to rest on top of hers on the spoon, stopping her frantic movements gently. "I would love to meet you. I'm sure nothing is boring about you."</p><p>The next tactic to hide her reactions to Lena's proximity was to huff a self-deprecating laugh and shake her head. "I'm a fancy assistant who fetches coffee and types things my boss doesn't want to. It's not nearly as exciting as flying around town and saving-"</p><p>"A woman in labor." Kara closed her mouth so hard that her teeth clicked loudly and her eyes locked with green ones. Lena was still smiling softly at her and, Rao, there it goes her heart again, trying to hit the roof. "I don't think I ever thanked you for that, by the way."</p><p>"It's my job, I..."</p><p>"Kara."</p><p>Lena would totally be the death of her, and Kara came to realize she wouldn't mind it even a little bit. It would be a damn great way to go, to die because of the way her name, her real name, rolled out of Lena's tongue like it was meant to be said by her. The syllables came out almost separated, and she was sure there was a small purr hidden behind the word. Kara would be lying if she said it didn't do things to her, if it didn't make her think sinful things.</p><p>Thankfully, as soon as Lena opened her mouth again and just a second before Kara launched herself forward to kiss plump lips that had been hunting her in her dreams, her phone started to ring. Lena blinked, confused about where the sound was coming, but the hero was fast to add more distance between them and reach out for her hidden pocket. She recognized the D.E.O. special ringtone and, for sure, there was a text message from Alex when she opened it.</p><p>"I have to go," Kara explained with barely hidden disappointment. "Some emergency downtown."</p><p>The blonde turned around to put her mug down and started to walk towards the balcony door when a hand grabbed her forearm. Spinning on her heels, she eyed Lena curiously.</p><p>"Take care, Kara."</p><p>Oh, fluffing fluff.</p><p>Kara couldn't see herself, there wasn't a mirror around and it wasn't an out-of-body experience, but she was completely and utterly sure that her entire body melted like ice on hot water. She hadn't realized she had tensed and got ready for a fight already but she certainly felt when every muscle became a puddle around Lena's touch. And who allowed her to have the most expressive eyes ever? Not fair.</p><p>"I will," she promised, although her voice was just a whisper. It felt like she wasn't strong enough to speak louder, not while Lena was looking and asking her things like <em>that. "</em>I will, uh, I will drop by after lunch tomorrow. For the park thing. If you still want to go with me, I mean."</p><p>Lena squeezed her arm and it was like a warmth spread in her veins all over her body. "We will be waiting for you."</p><p>While Kara flew away to meet the rest of the team, all she would think was: <em>Well, I'm fucked</em>.</p><p>And she hated to swear.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kara: My name's Kara.<br/>Lena: Kara... Kara... Kara...<br/>Kara: Do you have to say it like it's liquid porn? I mean, I like it, but you can't go around saying my name like you wanna jump me.<br/>Lena: But I want to jump you.<br/>Kara: ... You what?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. This is not a walk in the park</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>First of all, I almost couldn't post today. It took me longer than usual, but I managed to feed you with more hahaha</p><p>Second, to the super kind soul who donated some of her time to proofread this chapter: You rock and I'm very thankful, as I have told you before.</p><p>Third... Happy Saturday? I don't know</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kara discussed her next course of action with Alex - because this was Alex, her sister, her best friend, her better half in a way, and she could disagree with Kara all she wanted, but Alex would never turn her back on her. Alex suggested a couple of things only for fun and to mess with her head but she also said something very useful that Kara took to her heart.</p><p>"If you want her to know, then tell her. It's <em>your</em> secret, Kara. There's no one else in the world who can tell you what to do with it. So, if you want to tell Lena everything, it's your choice to make. Just, please, be careful, okay? I can see she means something to you and I would hate to see you hurt."</p><p>Kara knew J'onn wouldn't be happy about it and neither would James or Kal. They were all about keeping it to the lowest number of people possible. And Kara would usually agree with them, but it's not like she was going to scream her secret to the world at the top of her lungs. This was <em>Lena</em>, and Lena was an exception to a lot of her personal rules.</p><p>"If I had a wish, if I could have just one, I would wish that I didn't have to leave her side every night," she choked out after a while. There was a lump in the back of her throat, making it hard to speak; her eyes were burning and her vision was starting to blur but she kept going. "And, Alex, I have no idea where I stand in their lives or what I mean to her. All I know is that... I want to be there."</p><p>And Alex, being Alex, the best person on Earth, only patted her shoulder and said: "I reserve the right to throw it back in your face until the end of times if it goes wrong."</p><p>But it wouldn't, Kara was sure.</p><p>She didn't know how she knew - in fact, there were a lot of things she didn't know nowadays - but she knew she could trust Lena. More than that, Kara was sure that destiny had played out and made them stumble upon each other, and she would make damn sure she would make the most out of this opportunity.</p><p>That's why she woke up early on Saturday and almost hopped to the grocery store down her street. She went to bed with a plan and she woke up certain that it would be perfect. She would make it perfect because Lena, and Liam also, didn’t deserve any less.</p><p>So, Kara bought a list of items, smiled at Jorge, the owner of the small shop, and hopped back home with a gigantic grin on her face. It was a sunny day, the city's traffic was almost calm, there were a light breeze and singing birds. She even stopped at the flower shop across the street before heading back to her apartment.</p><p>The heroine had the decency of waiting until an acceptable hour before calling her Earth mom, and Eliza instantly knew something was going on.</p><p>"What is that smile about?"</p><p>Kara chuckled. Had she even stopped smiling today yet? "I'm having a picnic today!"</p><p>Eliza raised her brows, and Kara was glad she decided to Skype her mother because now she could see all of those reactions. "Leave it to you to be that happy about food, sweetheart."</p><p>"Not over the food," the younger blonde commented with another chuckle but kept talking before her mother could ask what she meant by that. "I need your help, I can't cook!"</p><p>"No, you certainly can't," Eliza agreed with a scoff.</p><p>"That's why I called you. Maybe you can teach me how to do something?" Adding her best puppy-eyes look, Kara waited for her mother to melt before pointing at the grocery store bags. "I had no idea what a baby eats, so I bought a lot of things."</p><p>"What, a baby... Kara, what baby? What's going on?"</p><p>After explaining the basics of her newfound friendship with Lena and her son (while also leaving out the details that painted her as more than a bit of a stalker, particularly her breaking and entering), Eliza was eager to help. Eliza didn’t need to know all the details, in all honesty. If Alex wasn’t, well, Alex, she wouldn’t know either.</p><p>Eliza was happy, Alex was supporting her descision for now, and Kara learned how to make apple cinnamon puree without burning anything.</p><p>It was going to be a great day.</p><p>By lunchtime, Kara ate a sandwich - or twelve - while she put everything she would need inside a picnic basket that Jorge happily sold her earlier. After that, it was almost torture to keep still and wait until it was time to leave. In the last five minutes, she changed from her pajamas, shoved the flowers inside the basket, grabbed her wallet and cellphone, paced around for another four minutes - damn superspeed - and then left.</p><p>Since Kara was still early, she decided to make the way to Lena's apartment by foot, appreciating the city on her way. To get to Lena she had to walk by the park, so she already took the chance to make a quick scan of the area. A few dogs and other kids were running around, and the ducks were at the small lake!</p><p>Things were still going great.</p><p>Until she knocked on Lena's door.</p><p>Kara was punched in her diaphragm once by an alien that kind of looked like the Hulk and, if she compared the moments side by side, she could swear she had less problem breathing after the punch than when the door opened and she came face to face with... Lena.</p><p>Like, her Lena. Not <em>her </em>Lena! But, like, the same Lena she saw not even twelve hours ago wearing a National City University hoodie, black leggings and fluffy socks. The Lena who she had been seeing on a daily basis for longer than she would care to admit.</p><p>That Lena.</p><p>Her Lena (?).</p><p>There wasn't a word that could sum up what she looked like. Kara could fluently speak four Earth languages and nine other planets’ languages, and her brain still couldn't provide her a way to describe how Lena looked.</p><p>She was wearing a pencil skirt, a printed pencil skirt that made it its life goal to cling to the woman like a second skin, and, Rao's sake, those legs go on for days. Weeks. Months, more likely. Lena was also wearing a red off-shoulder top that showed just enough of her cleavage, but those collarbones, Holy Rao. Holy fucking Rao. There was so much skin on display that Kara's brain came to a halt embarrassingly quickly.</p><p>Kara had yet to see Lena wearing make-up, and she kind of missed the tiny freckles the woman had on her nose, but, damn, if that red lipstick wasn't doing things to her too. Green eyes were molded by black eyeliner and were they always that green? Her hair was pulled perfectly into a tight bun, not a strand out of place, and her jaw looked even sharper.</p><p>Kara wondered if this is what people feel when they're about to pass out because it certainly felt like she was about to.</p><p>She was going to pass out. No, scratch that. She was going to die and Lena would be the cause. Killed by a pretty lady sounded lame but anyone would understand her if they just saw Lena. People would probably pat her back and say "got it".</p><p>And Lena was staring at her as well, although it took her some very long seconds to realize that. They were almost at the same eye level, so she assumed Lena was using high heels, she just wasn't brave enough to look down and risk ogling at her legs again. But, since they were so close in height, Kara could see Lena's eyes roaming her body. At first, Lena seemed confused by her like she wasn’t sure who she was, which made sense, but something flickered in her eyes a second after she opened the door and Kara knew she had recognized her.</p><p>It took a second or so but Kara regretted her clothing choice immediately. Trousers and a button-up shirt were hardly the right outfit to meet the woman who, according to Alex, would become her wife in the future – “After you stop being a creep and gets brave enough to ask her out without the excuse of taking a baby to see the ducks” as her sister so bluntly put. So, yes, maybe trousers and a button-up shirt suddenly felt incredibly too casual, especially for the first time Lena was meeting her as Kara and not Supergirl. Should she have dressed up more? Would Lena care? Should Kara even care? Was it important? She was overthinking this, wasn’t she? Probably. But this was a woman she was growing to care about in a way that Kara wasn’t sure how to define. Lena’s opinion mattered and Kara was sure she had dissapointed her somehow.</p><p>How exactly her clothes could be the centerpiece of that deception was missed on her.</p><p>Albeit Lena seemed to disagree, or that was what Kara hoped, because a tongue flicked between the woman's lips for a brief second before her eyes moved back to Kara's face. And maybe it was wishful thinking, but that meant something. Right? It had to, because why else would Lena lick her lips like that?</p><p>Rao, she needed professional help.</p><p>"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt the two of you gazing lovingly at each other, but I need to leave and you're blocking the door."</p><p>Maybe she didn't like Sam that much.</p><p>Kara forced her eyes to move away from Lena - and, yes, it felt like a very impossible task - and looked over the woman’s shoulder to where Ms. Arias was standing right behind her with her purse in one hand and her daughter's hand in the other. Even if she said it a little sharply and her face was serious, she still looked just a tiny bit amused, and Ruby was smiling up at Kara like they were best friends, so Kara couldn't help but like them again. They meant well and Ruby was cute.</p><p>"Hi," Sam said once she noticed Kara was back in the real world. "I'm Sam, her best friend. Don't worry, if you take a step to the side, I will be out of the way soon enough."</p><p>So, Sam didn't know. Good, okay. One last thing to worry about. "That's fine. I'm sorry, I'm being rude. I'm Kara," she reached out her hand when Lena turned her body to allow her some room to talk with Sam and the taller brunette quickly shook it after pushing her purse up to her forearm.</p><p>"Oh, I know." Sam's eyes made a quick jump to her friend before looking back at the blonde with a smirk. "Lena couldn't stop talking about how she would be late to see you."</p><p>"Weren't you about to leave?" Lena asked suddenly and no one had to be a genius to notice the hidden order behind her words.</p><p>Sam chuckled though. "I was, don't worry. Come on, Ruby." The little girl waved at them while following her mother out. They were already getting into the elevator when Sam looked over at them again and winked. "Have a nice date!" Then the elevator doors closed and silence remained.</p><p>And then Kara had no idea what to say.</p><p>And Lena was dressed like <em>that</em>, and her brain just... refused to work and catch up on what was going on.</p><p>And maybe Kara should have asked for some advice from Alex.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Lena came to her rescue, and thank Rao she did or they would be stuck there forever. "About Sam and, well, this. I was in a meeting and it went for much longer than I expected. I got home 10 minutes ago and didn't have the chance to change."</p><p>So, people saw Lena dressed like that? Kara was surprised she didn't get called to a Supergirl emergency due to collective heart attacks. Not that she would have been a great help - she would die with them.</p><p>"That's okay," she managed to squeak out and when did her voice become that pitchy? After clearing her throat, she gave it another try, "Do you still want to...?"</p><p>"Yes!" Lena took a step back, opening the way so she could slip inside, and offered her a smile. "If you're willing to wait for a bit. I need to change."</p><p>"Of course," Kara waved her free hand while carefully stepping inside. She had never come in from the front door before and the new approach made her even more nervous. What if Lena was expecting her to show up as Supergirl? What if she already got it all wrong? Oh, no!</p><p>"Can you stay with Liam while I change?"</p><p>That was something she could do, for sure. Kara nodded eagerly and barely gave it time to register that Lena was gone before crouching beside the baby boy, leaving the picnic basket at her side. He was laying on his play mat, looking up at the ceiling and moving his arms around like a lunatic but, Rao, he was cute. She chuckled to herself as she folded her legs Indian style and reached out to ruffle his belly.</p><p>"Hi, LK!" His green eyes moved to look at her and the biggest toothless smile opened in his face. "Are you happy to see me? I am too! I stopped by last night but you were already sleeping." He probably couldn't understand a word she was saying, she thought. "I told my mom about you. She said I should take you to meet her because she loves babies. Then she sent this really cute picture of Alex as a baby in our group chat and Alex can't stop whining about it."</p><p>It was cute and Alex was making a big deal out of it. Her sister didn't enjoy the fact that she was about a year old and standing naked in a bathtub with empty test tubes spread around her in the water. A little scientist, all curly red hair and scowl.</p><p>"I told her it's nice that she has pictures of when she was a baby," Kara commented as she placed a hand in the back of his head and another one on his butt to lift him. Liam seemed like he was trying to clap and his little feet kicked around like crazy. "Take care, you're going to hurt yourself. I'm a little too hard for you."</p><p>A hand almost immediately grabbed a fist-full of her shirt once they were at the same eye level. It would have been her cape if she was using it, or her hair if it was closer, and that made her realize something.</p><p>"Oh, shoot! You don't know who I am, do you?" Kara raised her hand and took her glasses off. For the first few seconds, Liam followed the object with his eyes before he looked back at her. She didn't know what she expected but he opened another blinding smile and gurgled happily. "Well, hello, happy boy," Kara chuckled. "I'm Kara." He giggled again and pulled her shirt, which she took as a good sign.</p><p>Liam was wearing overalls, his little feet bare, with a very cute looking dinosaur occupying almost all of the front of his body. The material was soft, black and yellow, and it looked quite warm, so she assumed he was good to go – the handsome little man. She leaned as far as she could and picked up his shoes, something so small that she had a hard time even believing would fit a foot the first time she saw it.</p><p>“I love your clothes,” she said in a conversational tone while turning him around so he would sit on her lap. Kara wiggled her shirt out of his grip and leaned back on the couch so he could lie back into her front and not fall forward, then started to gently slide one shoe first. “I love dinosaurs. In fact, I think I have a shirt just like yours. I have a sweater too. Alex says is ugly but she doesn’t know how to appreciate it.” Sliding on the other shoe, Kara huffed. “Anyway, hope you don’t mind but the park is going to have some kids. It’s Saturday, after all.”</p><p>“You’re very good with him.”</p><p>Startled, Kara turned her head around, even if she already knew who was talking to her. She just wasn’t prepared for what she saw. If Kara thought she would die because she saw Lena in a skirt, a hint of cleavage and make-up, she could feel her soul leave her body when she saw the woman again.</p><p>Lena had, in fact, changed. Instead of a tight skirt, there was a pair of jeans, dark, hugging her thighs and hips like it was sewed directly on her body. The fancy blouse was also gone, replaced by a black long-sleeve shirt. Her hair, once tied into a very well made bun, was falling down her shoulders, all curls and waves. The make-up wasn’t as heavy anymore, just light and soft.</p><p>Lena was going to kill her.</p><p>One of these days, she would manage to kill Kara.</p><p>And Kara would happily let her.</p><p>While Kara tried to process everything, between jeans and green eyes, Lena pulled a hairband from her wrist, that she hadn’t noticed before, to pull her hair up in a ponytail. Kara missed the natural curls immediately but damn if her jaw wasn’t a sight for sore eyes. Thankfully, gladly, fortunately, Liam decided it was time for him to gain her attention again because he started wiggling into her lap, throwing his body to the side so she would put him down.</p><p>Kara let him go after making sure he wouldn’t hurt himself, then her eyes moved back at Lena and she tried to remember what she even said the first time. Did she ask something? Why was Lena so distracting?</p><p>The woman apparently noticed she wouldn’t get a reply because she chuckled and nodded, clearly amused. “Okay. Well, are we ready to go? Sam already got all of Liam’s things ready, I just have to grab his stroller.”</p><p>“That’s okay, I can get it!” Kara shot up from the floor, barely managing not to jump or float over the couch, and moved to the stroller they had used the day before. “I take this and you take Liam. We can put him here once we’re out.”</p><p>“Are we doing a picnic?” Lena asked when they were already on the elevator. The blonde had to put the basket inside the stroller so she could manage walking with that thing and curiosity finally won.</p><p>Kara nodded. “Yes, actually. I packed everything. Well, I had to call my mother to make sure I didn’t forget anything but she was cool with it. Thought it would be nice. You know, it's a beautiful day."</p><p>"The last time I had a picnic I think I was maybe four years old," the shorter woman informed thoughtfully. The elevator reached the ground floor and they exited calmly. Once out, Kara took the basket out from the stroller and Lena gently laid her son on the comfortable cushion. The blonde quickly jumped to occupy the position as the pusher, missing the soft smile coming from the younger woman.</p><p>"What?" Kara glanced at her with her eyebrows high and a bitter taste in her mouth after they started walking again, ready to leave the building, and the woman’s words finally hit her.</p><p>Krypton didn't give people enough time to socialize and just be; Rao knows there weren't enough breaks, but every Sunday - or the equivalent day of Earth Sunday - they would all gather at the parks and other public spaces, and have this big picnic. Although the food wasn't as abundant as here on Earth, it was still nice. And, once she got here, the Danvers would take her and Alex to the most random picnics (from school, the church they weren't even members of, from their work, from the neighborhood). Even now, a few months shy of hitting her - assumed – 27th birthday, her and Alex (who was getting really close to her 30th) would still have picnics together.</p><p>After getting together to play games and beating up bad guys, that was one of their favorite activities to do. And to think Lena had to go Rao knows how many years without one was... sad. Sad and unacceptable. Another reason why Kara would make sure they have a perfect day.</p><p>The walk to the park was made between small talk and random comments that Kara pulled from her sleeves to make Lena smile. People were staring at them considerably less than the day before, so Kara was glad she decided not to show up with her suit again. Taking a few stares in stride– either from people who recognized Lena or trying to see the baby - they could just walk and talk as they pleased while Kara pushed the stroller. At one point, Lena finally convinced Kara to let her take the picnic basket so that Kara wasn’t doing everything herself.</p><p>Once in the park, Liam seemed more alert. His eyes moved around while he tried to understand everything around him and he started wiggling his body like he was trying to sit. It was cute to see him struggle with his baby limitations, to be honest, but Kara took pity on him when his face started to contort into a grimace that she knew all too well – he was about to cry, and very loudly so. So, the blonde gently swept him from the stroller and held him in her arms so his back was pressed to her chest so he could see everything the adults could. One arm around his belly and the other one holding his legs in a sitting position, Kara smiled to herself when she noticed Liam was glad about the change and definitely comfortable in his new position.</p><p>That left the stroller for Lena, so she put the basket inside it again and started to push while trying to keep her smile at the bare minimum. People would comment if they saw Lena Luthor smiling like crazy in a park. They walked for a while in silence after that, the only thing breaking it was Liam’s giggles or screams when he saw something that caught his attention. He was particularly loud when he saw a dog and found it extremely funny when someone passed by them with a bike.</p><p>After they reached a quieter area around the pond, they slowed down their walk until they stopped. “Look, Liam,” Kara pointed at the white duck swimming in the lake without a care in the world. “It’s a duck.”</p><p>The boy looked so shocked that there wasn’t a reaction from him for several moments. Meanwhile, Kara shot a look over his head <strike>a</strike>t Lena and they chuckled at the boy’s look of amazement. Lena approached them to run a hand through his hair, and his eyes snapped at her instantly.</p><p>“I think you broke my son, Supergirl,” she joked, although her face was lit with a soft smile that only Liam could bring out of her. “We can sit here since he seems to like the duck.”</p><p>“Did you hear that?” Kara asked the baby, wiggling his right foot to get his attention. Two sets of green eyes stared at her and, not for the first time, she forgot how to breathe. “It’s time to eat!”</p><p>The baby probably didn’t know what she was talking about but her excitement brushed off on him because he giggled and clapped his little hands the best he could, to which both the adults took as a sign he was as happy as they were feeling. Lena turned back at the stroller and pulled the picnic basket closer.</p><p>“Is there a towel here?”</p><p>“I got us a blanket. It’s fluffier.”</p><p>Lena nodded and opened the basket to search for said blanket. She tried to ignore the amount of food Kara had picked up for them, choosing instead to grab the blue-ish material and pulling it out. The Luthor woman had to look around for a few seconds to make sure they weren’t going to sit too close to anything they wouldn’t like – ants, bees, or anything – before she shook the blanket open and let it fall to the ground to cover the space for them. It was a rather large blanket, they would fit without a problem, so Lena placed the basket right in the middle to stop it from flying away with the wind and spun around to face the blonde.</p><p>“Do you want me to hold him so you can sit?”</p><p>Kara shook her head. “It’s okay, I can do it.”</p><p>Kara watched as the younger woman found a place to sit on, one of the ends, and slowly lowered herself to the ground while tugging her legs underneath her. She waited until Lena was comfortable enough before doing the same. Kara didn’t have her hands free to help her down but she didn’t have a problem doing so either, managing to keep the baby in the same place against her torso and sit down. When she looked up, she thought Lena looked a little impressed for a second but it was gone too fast for her to be sure so she was going to write it down as her mind playing tricks at her.</p><p>The blonde set the baby boy on top of her knee, an easy task since she was sitting with her legs crossed, and bounced him a couple of times to help him accept the new position they were in. Rao knows Liam could make a scene when someone who was holding him wasn’t doing what he wanted the person to do.</p><p>"I was planning on giving Liam his porridge for lunch but I was late and couldn't. Sam gave him his bottle, so I guess I will have to push it for dinner time,” Lena commented after watching the duo for a few seconds.</p><p>"Actually," blushing different shades of red, Kara raised a hand to fiddle with her glasses while the other one kept wrapped around Liam's belly to keep him from throwing himself to the ground. Now that he could sit, one of his favorite activities was to let his body fall to the ground and giggle like it was the funniest thing ever. "I, uh, I asked my mother what you can feed a baby and she taught me how to do a few things. I brought it if you wanna try it out."</p><p>There was a way Lena's face softened around Liam or whenever he got mentioned. And there was a very specific way she looked at Kara when she did something <em>for</em> Liam. For Kara, it brought a weird feeling. Like a flutter in her heart, butterflies in her belly, sweaty palms, and her brain shut down at least 30%.</p><p>The list of things she was willing to do to have Lena smiling at her like that was so long that it was embarrassing, truly.</p><p>Without replying, Lena reached for the basket to go through its contents again. Kara tried to ignore how fast her heart was beating while Lena moved things around until she pulled out a small jar from inside. Once again, her entire face acquired a gentleness that Kara just didn’t know how to handle.</p><p>“Oh, Kara, you didn’t have to.”</p><p>The blonde shrugged, trying to hold back her blush. It was fruitless and she knew it. “Well, you said it was time to move on from the milk so...”</p><p>So, what? Kara wanted to ask herself that. So, I called my mom and we spent over two hours on the phone so she could teach me all about baby food? So, I became an expert in baby food? So, I decided to jump in your personal life again?</p><p>Instead of saying any of this, Kara cleared her throat. “That’s apple and cinnamon puree. I have mashed potatoes as well, in case you want to try something salty first. There is no salt, though. Or sugar, by the way.”</p><p>Kara was not going to say anything, but she also made more of the apple puree and added a ridiculous amount of sugar and that was her dessert after lunch. Again, not going to say it aloud though.</p><p>“What do you say, Liam?” Lena asked while taking the lid of the pot. “Should we try this out?”</p><p>“Maybe you should try it first,” the blonde commented, scratching the back of her neck. “I’m known for... not being good in the kitchen.”</p><p>The only response she got was a raised eyebrow before Lena looked down at the puree. She found a spoon inside the basket and tentatively took a bite from the mixture of apple and cinnamon. She chewed slowly, tasting the new flavor, and Kara felt like she was hanging on the edge, waiting for the approval she so desperately wanted. Liam was also looking at Lena like he also was anxious to see her reaction.</p><p>Finally, Lena’s eyes widened and a pleased hum came from the back of her throat. “This is <em>so</em> good!”</p><p>Relief washed over her body and Kara couldn’t help the sigh that left her. “Really?”</p><p>“You said you can’t cook?” Lena scoffed, using the spoon to point at the puree. “This is really, really good, Kara!”</p><p>“Yes!” The blonde raised one fist in the air in celebration and both Lena and Liam laughed at her antics.</p><p>“But this is not for me,” Lena commented after her laughter died down. She pushed herself closer, her knees touching Kara’s, and then she picked just a tiny bit of the apple puree in the spoon. “Let’s see what Liam thinks about it.”</p><p>“Okay, little man,” Kara whispered at him while helping the boy to sit straighter. “Don’t disappoint me, I’m trying to impress your mother.”</p><p>If she actually meant for Lena to hear that, she didn’t know, but Lena clearly did as she looked up and smiled widely at Kara. The blonde blinked, not sure what to do when the sun was shining so brightly right into her face, and then Lena winked at her, the smile turning into a sinful smirk. Kara gulped – would she be the first Kryptonian to die of a heart attack? Seems so.</p><p>“Gah!”</p><p>Their eyes moved away from each other and they both looked down at Liam, who was apparently not in the mood to have the two grow-ups staring at each other instead of giving him some attention.</p><p>Kara giggled, ducking her head to press a kiss into his dark hair. “Sorry! We’re going to give you food!”</p><p>“Looks like he’s learning from you,” the brunette rolled her eyes fondly before touching his lips with the spoon. Liam had no idea what to do with that new object at first, but instinct took over and he opened his mouth to receive his first solid food ever. He still tried to suck, which was a little funny, and Kara would have laughed if she wasn’t too busy thinking about what Lena just said.</p><p>The way Lena said it was like... No, Kara! Don’t let your mind go there! It’s not like that. That’s your mind playing games with you.</p><p>She gulped again and forced her brain to focus on the baby eating for the first time. Lena helped him by pushing just a splash of apple against his lips before leaning back to watch his reaction. Kara wasn’t sure if Lena held her breath consciously or not - she knows she didn’t - but they were both like statues while waiting for Liam to do something. The boy, oblivious to all of it, frowned while touching his lips together a couple of times until he could taste the puree. He grimaced at first like he didn’t like it but then he giggled and clapped his hands.</p><p>“It looks like it’s a success,” Lena declared when her son reached a hand out like he was trying to grab the spoon from her hand.</p><p>Kara held back another celebration to keep him in place when the other woman gave him more of it but her smile was big enough to show how happy she was. Lena looked up again and that was the first time they both realized how close they had come. The younger woman had leaned over while they waited for Liam’s reaction and now there were mere inches between them. In fact, if Kara looked down at the boy in her lap again their noses would surely touch.</p><p>Which meant their lips were really close.</p><p>Like, closer than ever.</p><p>Not that they have ever got close before but it was definitely close now.</p><p>Too close.</p><p>Dangerously close.</p><p>Kara wasn’t breathing. She needs to breathe, she told herself. She’s an alien and she can go more time without oxygen but she still needs it. She wasn’t breathing, though. Neither was Lena, apparently, because suddenly there was a huff of air hitting Kara’s chin and that almost broke her. Literally broke her because Kara honestly felt like she was going to die from that only.</p><p>If their lips touch, she was going to combust. Simple as that.</p><p>Lena has freckles on her nose, only on her nose, and her eyes caught her attention and stole her breath away. From that close, she noticed for the first time that she had different eye colors. Heterochromia, she knew the name for that. Her right eye was slightly darker, kind of blue-ish, while the left one was a light shade of green that Kara never had the opportunity to really appreciate before – and which she wished she could stare at forever. Lena Luthor was, easily, the most spectacular woman that ever existed in any universe and there was not a fiber in Kara’s body and soul that didn’t want to kiss her.</p><p>And yet every cell in her being was not on the same page as her soul. Her mouth suddenly felt too dry, like she had spent the last week walking in a desert. Her palms felt sweaty, her heart was beating way too fast and it honestly felt like the world was spinning to the wrong side.</p><p>(In fact, if anyone asked her right then and there, she wouldn’t even be able to tell how long Earth took to make a rotation).</p><p>Lena’s eyes dropped for a quick second and Kara flicked her tongue over her own bottom lip without her knowledge. When the brunette looked up again, her eyes were exceedingly darker and every trace of amusement had left her face. In the back of her head, Kara knew that she could bend her head and kiss her without negative consequences, maybe some awkwardness that came with kissing someone for the first time but something stopped her from doing that.</p><p>There weren’t many things that could scare the Girl of Steel and that certainly wouldn’t be one of those things but this wasn’t Supergirl staring at green eyes and wondering how soft plump red lips could be. This was Kara, the girl who worked as an assistant because she didn’t think she was good enough to be a reporter like she wished to be, the girl who was afraid of being alone in the dark, who hated enclosed spaces and sought people’s approval. Lena didn’t know that girl.</p><p>She knew Supergirl fairly well because the hero acquired the habit of visiting her every night for the past four months but she barely knew Kara Danvers. Lena met Kara literally not even twelve hours ago. Maybe Kara wasn’t the one she wished to be kissing right now.</p><p>With that in mind and a bitter taste in the back of her throat, Kara looked away. Liam was looking up at her and she could swear that look meant “are you really flirting with my mom while I’m trying to eat?”, and, although she knew it was impossible for him to even understand what was going on, it made her blush.</p><p>“I, uh,” Kara cleared her throat and decided to pick up the jar from Lena so she could occupy her other hand. It was shaking slightly, but her tongue also felt like a strange body inside her mouth, so that was the least of her problems. “I wasn’t sure if I should have worn my suit today or not.”</p><p>A shadow of... something ran through Lena’s face before it went blank again. The woman blinked and leaned away, putting some very needed space between them. Kara filled her lungs with air again, the oxygen helping to clear her thoughts and making it easier to assume the task at hand. Lena handed her the spoon, and she did her best not to brush their fingers or make visual contact again. The blonde picked some of the apple puree and offered it to Liam, who gladly pressed his closed lips into the spoon.</p><p>“Why is that?” Lena asked.</p><p>Kara shrugged the best she could while trying to coax Liam to open his mouth. “Wasn’t sure which one you would prefer. In the end, I remembered how people were staring at me yesterday, so I decided it would be better if I didn’t wear it again.”</p><p>There was a pause while they both watched the boy eating before Lena tilted her head to the side. “I don’t know,” she commented. “I saw a lot of people looking at you today. Guess the trousers lure almost the same attention as the suit.”</p><p>Kara blushed again, way harder than before, and she cursed having both hands occupied so she couldn’t fiddle with her glasses to gain some time to reply to that. There were no doubts in that phrase: Lena was flirting with her. It was flirting, it had to be.</p><p>Unless that was just the way Lena was. Kara spent a short moment with her and Sam and they sounded very playful together, speaking in ways that many people would have considered flirtatious, so maybe Kara’s brain was against her now and seeing things that weren’t there. Either way, it was a little agonizing.</p><p>“Maybe they’re looking at you,” Kara whispered. “Or maybe they’re looking at me because they wished they could be in my place.”</p><p>Lena scoffed, “I doubt a lot of people wish they were holding a baby right now.”</p><p>“I can agree that Liam is a very handsome little guy but I don’t think it’s because of him they’re jealous,” Kara replied while handing her back the spoon. She took a second to bounce him up and down on her knee, making him giggle happily. “Right, little man? They all think your mommy is very pretty.”</p><p>Lena, who had been watching them with tenderness in her eyes, smiled. “Sadly for them, I’m already in very good company, so they don’t stand a chance.”</p><p>“Please,” the blonde huffed. “I don’t represent a threat to any of them. I mean, I’m pretty sure there must be someone more interesting out there. What about that guy smoking by that tree?” She used her chin to point at the weird-looking dude leaning against a far away tree with his shoulder and a cigarette hanging from his mouth.</p><p>“First, I’m pretty sure that’s not a normal cigarette. Which, nothing against, I had my rebel days as well but I have a baby with fragile lungs to consider now.” The brunette shrugged like she hadn’t just given a very vivid image of a younger-looking Lena smoking pot in her room somewhere. “And second, I think you’re wrong.”</p><p>Confused, and a bit startled, the hero frowned. “I usually am, to be honest, but what is it this time?”</p><p>Lena chuckled, shaking her head in a way that could only be described as fondly. “I think you’re the biggest threat of them all,” she whispered with a sly smirk that set Kara’s heart into another overdrive. “They definitely should be jealous of you.”</p><p>Kara’s brain shut down entirely after that. Incapable of saying anything, she just watched while Lena fed little Liam.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kara: I feel ridiculous with these clothes. Should I change it?<br/>Alex: I think you look fine.<br/>Sam: Better than Supergirl, thumbs up, girl.<br/>Lena: If the clothes are bothering you, maybe you should take them off... in my room.<br/>Alex: ... Ew.<br/>Sam: Damn, girl.<br/>Kara: ... *dies*</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Won't do anything about it</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You guys keep amazing me with your kind words and awesome feedback. Honestly, all of it gives me life.</p><p>Another thank you is in order for my dear helper. Once again, you rock!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lena and her almost kissed. They were very close to doing so - so very close - but she chickened out at the last second. They spent the rest of the afternoon watching the ducks, Kara even managed to lure one of them with a piece of bread and the bird allowed Liam to touch him for a very brief second before running away on his unsteady short legs. On the walk back to the Luthor’s apartment, Kara walked with Liam in her arms while she chatted with him cheerfully and Lena walked beside her with the stroller and a big smile.</p><p>They looked like a family; Kara registred it in the back of her mind at some point. However, it didn’t take the shock away when a lady commented on it. They made a quick stop to buy an ice cream cone for Kara - because Lena saw her watching a kid with it and decided to offer her some, not because she asked for one like a child - and they were waiting in the line when an older lady turned around while waiting for her cone and saw them.</p><p>And she said it, as clear as day, with a friendly smile, the thing that Kara couldn’t get out of her head after she heard it. “You have a beautiful family.”</p><p>“Oh!” Kara’s eyes went wide and a hand raised to fiddle with her glasses before she could stop herself. Liam glared at her for the disturbance of his favorite position – facing the street – but quickly let it go when someone passed with a giant ice cream ball. “We’re not... I mean, we’re not...”</p><p>“Thank you,” Lena interrupted her awkward rambling softly, putting a hand on the small of her back. Her thumb started a gentle pattern shortly after and Kara felt her entire body relax when a warm feeling spread over her.</p><p>The lady left but Lena’s hand remained until it was their turn to order. Then it stayed there for a while longer until the ice cream shop owner came back with Kara’s cone.</p><p>“Do you want me to hold him?”</p><p>Liam wasn’t having it, though. As soon as Kara tried to put him in Lena’s arms, the baby started to fuss around and whine. They didn’t have time to calm him down because the man was waiting with the ice cream in his hand, so Lena took it, paid him and they started their way back. The basket was in the stroller, Liam was still fussing and it was tricky to pass a baby between them while holding a cone and pushing a stroller, so Kara accepted she would end up losing her treat.</p><p>“Here,” Lena said after they crossed a street.</p><p>Kara turned her head around and saw the shorter woman holding up the cone to her face. She raised an eyebrow, but Lena did the same and they just stared at each other for a few seconds before Kara gave in – it was peanut butter and chocolate ice cream, after all. She leaned over, taking some of the ice cream into her mouth before pulling back with a grin.</p><p>“I apologize for my son’s eagerness to keep you from your food,” the shorter woman commented.</p><p>“I guess that’s just payback,” Kara replied while bouncing the boy in her arms and making him giggle.</p><p>“Well, being the ice cream holder has its perks,” Lena shrugged, keeping eye contact while bringing her hand up so she could also take a bite from the ice cream.</p><p>Kara thought she could die right in that second.</p><p>It was ridiculous, really. But Lena’s mouth was touching something that her mouth touched a second before and Rao’s sake. How could Lena quirk her eyebrow like <em>that</em>? And why did Kara feel like the woman knew exactly what she was thinking all the time?</p><p>They made the way back to Lena’s building without Kara having a stroke, so she wrote that down as a victory. The doorman who had allowed Kara to get upstairs before – it took her long ten minutes to convince him that she wasn’t a robber, or a reporter, or a killer for hire and that she was, in fact, a friend of Lena’s and that she was expecting her, and to please not call her in and ruin the surprise - was still there and waved at them with a smile, that Kara quickly returned the best she could with Liam still in her arms before they entered the elevator. Kara glanced at the fancy panel that required a code to allow the elevator to work – that could be typed from inside or by the doorman – and saw that it was almost four in the afternoon. She knew she had to leave soon to be able to make it on time for sister night and the prospect of leaving made her stomach flip uncomfortably.</p><p>Lena kicked her shoes off when she walked inside her apartment, bent over to put them at the right place at the rack beside the door, then turned around to relieve Kara of the baby boy’s weight. “Here we go, darling,” she whispered soothing him. “Do you want to play with your puppy before bath time?”</p><p>There wasn’t a reply, as expected, but Liam giggled happily when she lowered him to the playmat she kept in the living room. Once he was settled down, with his stomach on the floor, Lena put the puppy with Kara’s house crest in front of him and got up after making sure he saw it.</p><p>“He really likes that,” Lena commented with a soft smile. Her eyes slowly moved from her son to ogle at Kara instead, her hands coming to stuff the back pockets of her jeans, and the blonde thought she never looked younger. "It's a warm day. Aren't you feeling hot with that shirt?"</p><p>Since the way Lena was looking at her was doing things to her insides, Kara took a moment to even comprehend what Lena was talking about. She looked at her arms covered by the blue material of her bottom-up before shrugging. "Not really. I mean, I can't feel hot and cold like you do."</p><p>"You don't feel hot?” Lena asked with renewed interest. “That's a blessing."</p><p>"Well, I would if I got too close to the Sun. Or if I decided to dive in a volcano. Which I have no intention of doing, by the way,” the blonde smiled and winked, which caused a faint blush to raise on the woman’s cheeks. “So, you're a winter person?"</p><p>"The best time of the year?” Lena asked while raising her eyebrows. “Hell, yes.” Immediately after saying that, her eyes widened and she turned her head to look down at where Liam was playing. “I need to control my mouth now. I would hate myself if Liam's first word turns out to be a curse.” She rolled her eyes to herself before moving to grab the stroller so she could put it away in the closet beside the door. “Anyway, it was hot outside."</p><p>Kara had realized it was warmer than humans were comfortable with. At some point, after feeding Liam, Lena had pulled her sleeves up and there was a thin layer of sweat on her forehead shortly after, but she wasn’t bothered by any of it. "I can't pull my sleeves up like you,” she commented with another shrug.</p><p>Pushing the stroller inside the room, Lena frowned. "Why not?"</p><p>"My suit.” Kara watched while the shorter woman closed the door and walked around her with the picnic basket and entered the kitchen, the blonde following her closely behind. “I wear it underneath my clothes."</p><p>"You're wearing it now?" Lena put the basket on top of the kitchen table and started to retrieve the items from inside.</p><p>Kara leaned against the counter behind Lena – absolutely not because it was the perfect spot to see Lena’s ass in those tight jeans, please have some respect. "You never know when there's going to be an emergency. Besides, I wasn't sure how I should show up today. Thought I could be prepared for anything."</p><p>At that, the Luthor turned around with a firm stance and certainty behind green orbs. "In whatever you feel more comfortable, always. I want you to be <em>you</em>.” Kara’s mouth felt too dry and her throat too tight for her to even ask what Lena meant by that – who Lena thought she was – but the other woman didn’t give her enough time to reply either. “Speaking of, the top might be easy to pull, but... what about the skirt?"</p><p>"Ugh,” the hero groaned, ducking her head like it was actually a burden she carried around. “Don't ask. Let's just say I know how Liam feels about his diapers."</p><p>"Oh, God." Lena huffed and it sounded a lot like a laugh, although she was strong enough not to do that right in Kara’s face.</p><p>She appreciated it but Kara suspected she would have enjoyed her laugh even more. "Yep. Winn, my friend who made the suit for me, was trying to come up with something easier before he... left." There was no easy way to explain time travel and she didn’t have enough time to try.</p><p>The brunette hummed and nodded a couple of times, her face becoming all pensive and contemplative. Kara decided she could stare at Lena’s face all day, every day, for much longer than she would ever admit out loud – dangerously long. "Maybe I can take a look at his notes and work on something. Nanotechnology, maybe."</p><p>"You don't have to..."</p><p>"Please, I'm a scientist.” Lena tilted her head to the side with a smirk and Kara was ready to write that down as the cause of her death. It was... too much. The mischievous look in her eyes, the smirk on her lips, the way her head was slightly turned to the side, the way the light hit her jaw. Kara would thank any God that might exist for letting her be blessed with the sight of Lena at least once in her life. “I love challenges. You would be the one doing me a favor after months surrounded by diapers and baby bottles."</p><p>How could Lena be so easily drawn to help even when the world was just as fast to judge her for other people’s actions?</p><p>"Only if you promise to give me pants," Kara responded in an even tone, albeit her voice was laced with softness.</p><p>"Can't promise anything," Lena chuckled, and the way her voice dropped one eighth and the way she winked made Kara’s mind go to the gutter.</p><p>Kara gulped, feeling too nervous to even think correctly. "Okay, well... I will ask for Winn's notes."</p><p>"Please, do.” The woman’s smirk melted into a softer smile, her eyes lingering on Kara’s face for a while longer before she turned around to keep removing the rest of the food from Kara’s basket. “Although, I don’t think I will ever be able to do such a good job as the glasses and the ponytail.”</p><p>Kara almost groaned. “Really?”</p><p>“What?” Lena had mirth barely hidden behind her eyes and a small curve on her lips. “I just think it’s amazing that all Supergirl needs is a pair of glasses and an updo, and no one can find out who she is.”</p><p>“Do you think you would recognize me on the street?” Kara remarked back with a smirk of her own. “Just to let you know, many people are throw off by my glasses.”</p><p>Lena snickered. “I have faith I could have, yes.”</p><p>That gave her a pause. Kara watched the other woman for a couple of seconds before she sighed and looked down at her own hands. “I’m sorry I showed up at your door without my suit like that. I didn’t even say anything to you. And your friend was here as well, I didn’t even think.” She shook her head, sighed again, and looked up. Lena was watching her closely now, having walked around the table to put something away, and Kara had to remind herself how her tongue was supposed to work. “It’s just... I wanted to tell you. I didn’t want you to find out on your own, or having someone else telling you. I was also afraid we would stumble upon each other at the street and you would recognize me.” And, just because things got too serious, she added: “you wouldn’t, though.”</p><p>“I totally would,” Lena replied, but her voice didn’t hold any bite and her words sounded too weak, as though she wasn’t sure about it herself or if she was afraid to speak too loudly and scare Kara away.</p><p>“Yes, well,” the blonde shrugged. “It wouldn’t be fair with you. You deserved to know and I should be the one telling you, or showing you, because you allowed me to be a part of your life and I would never, ever, take that for granted. I’m sorry if... if I got it wrong.”</p><p>“You didn’t, Kara,” Lena tilted her head to the side, the fondness overflowing her voice. “I’m glad you showed up as... just you today. It eases a few questions.”</p><p>“Questions?” That certainly sounded a little worrying.</p><p>Lena shrugged it off. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s just say I’m happy I could see that part of you today. I enjoyed spending the day with you, Kara. Although you tried to feed my son to the ducks.” They both shared a quick laugh before the brunette set herself back to work. “I think someone over there is ready for his bath and a nap."</p><p>Blue eyes moved to the boy laying on the floor and he looked indeed just a minute away from passing out on the floor, fingers clutching at the puppy and thumb inside his mouth and all of that. "Oh, I envy him so much."</p><p>The brunette chuckled and threw her a look over her shoulder before taking the last object from the picnic basket. Kara’s breath stopped for a second when she recognized the flowers she bought, the same ones she didn’t have enough courage to give Lena after she saw her, but the woman didn’t give it a second look before putting the small bouquet on top of the counter. Kara was about to throw herself off the planet – not because Lena didn’t like her gift, of course, not at all because of that; it was only because she missed seeing the stars from that close – when the Luthor got on her tiptoes to reach for a jar she could put the flowers in.</p><p>“Liam loved the puppy and I really liked the flowers,” Lena commented while filling the jar with water. “These too, thank you.”</p><p>The blonde cleared her throat, clearly out of her comfort zone, and opened her mouth to say something – even more so when she had no idea what to say. “Oh, well, y-you know. Thank you too. I mean, welcome!” Kara shook her head to try and clean her foggy thoughts. “I mean, you’re welcome.”</p><p>The brunette threw her a quick amused glance while feeling the vase with water. “You’re welcome to stay around while I wash him. It won’t take long.”</p><p>Kara had no idea what to do with herself while Lena was gone and she was faced with silence. Kara doesn’t do well with silence, not at all. So, she found herselfsomething to occupy her mind with. She washed the few dishes from the picnic, put away the rest of the jars with Liam’s smashed food, put water in the kettle, put all of Liam’s toys away – for a baby, he had too many– and she was still alone once it was all done.</p><p>She was just considering sneaking down the hallway – consequences, like invasion of privacy, be damned – when the sweetest voice called out for her. “Kara?”</p><p>Kara would be the first one to admit that being called Supergirl by Lena sent a rush up and down her body like nothing else. But having her say her real name? Rao, it was completely different. It made her feel different. Warmer, fuzzy even, all the good things because Lena knew her secret and she was still there.</p><p>Well, technically, Kara was the one who was still lingering around, but Lena didn’t kick her out yet which was the only thing that mattered.</p><p>With a small, pleased smile, Kara strolled through the hallway until she reached the door to Lena’s bedroom. She stopped there, placing a hand against the wood and tilting her head to make it easier to hear. “Lena?”</p><p>“Can you help me?”</p><p>Without thinking too much of it, Kara pushed the door open all the way and walked inside. She tried not to pay too much attention to her surroundings – because, although it looked like it, she wasn’t a creep – but thankfully it was easy to find the bathroom by the corner, so Kara walked straight there. She knocked once, even if she knew Lena was expecting her, and popped her head inside. Lena was kneeling on the floor by the bathtub – and it was a really big bathtub, even more so when a baby was the only one inside it. Her long sleeve shirt was gone and she was using a black t-shirt now, her arms were deep inside the tub so she could hold the baby there and her position almost made it impossible for her to look at Kara when she entered.</p><p>“He’s starting to throw things. Can you pick up his towel, please?”</p><p>Kara looked around until she spotted a white fluffy towel thrown without ceremony behind the door. She almost rolled her eyes at that but chose instead not to comment on how she also left her towels there when she was younger. Younger being last week, of course. Kara picked the towel up, threw it over her shoulder, and opened the cabinet to pick another one. She was not going to dry the boy with a dirty towel.</p><p>Lena gave her a thankful smile when she handed her another towel and Kara was close enough to see the baby from the edges of the bathtub. “He fell asleep?”</p><p>His mother nodded, the corner of her mouth twisting in a soft grin. “He did. Guess you tired him out today.”</p><p>“He likes the park,” Kara commented with a shrug, unable to look away from the scene in front of her. They were so cute. Lena was such a good mother, so carrying and lovely, and she didn’t even know that.</p><p>“He does,” the woman agreed as she took the boy from the water to wrap him with the fluffy towel. He fussed, clearly displeased, but didn’t wake up enough to cry. “Thank you, by the way. For taking him yesterday and taking us again today.”</p><p>Kara would never be able to describe how Lena was the one doing her the favor for allowing her to be in their lives, so, instead, she shrugged again. “I enjoy the outside as well. And I could see you needed to relax outside the apartment for a while too.”</p><p>There was no reply for a while. Lena just dried the baby the best she could without disturbing him, before she wrapped the towel securely around his little body and took him in her arms. Kara was smiling when she took a step to the side so Lena could walk past her to go back to the room and the shorter woman did a quick stop to smile at her as well before slipping away. She took an extra second to pull the plug from the bathtub so the water could be washed away before stepping out as well.</p><p>She stopped though as soon as she spotted Lena again. Leaning against the door frame, Kara watched while the mother made faces to the sleepy boy to distract him while she tried to slip him into his animal-themed jumpsuit. Liam wasn’t paying too much attention to her, to be honest, but that didn’t stop Lena from flashing smiles and bumping his nose every time he allowed her to slip another limb inside the jumpsuit without putting up a fight.</p><p>Once he was all tucked in, Lena picked him up again and her eyes found Kara’s across the room. There was a pause where Kara suspected neither of them breathed before the shorter woman smiled and started moving again. “Come on, let’s put him to sleep.”</p><p>Like there was a cord connecting them, Kara quietly followed her out the room, into the hallway, and into Liam’s room. Before she even noticed what she was doing, Kara used her super-speed to run to the crib before Lena could get there so she could fluff the pillow and pull the soft sheet from the even softer small mattress – and, Rao, baby things were all so small.</p><p>And then the Earth stopped moving. Kara was sure it did because her entire world stopped when Lena leaned over and pressed a kiss on her cheek. She could only imagine what would have happened if it was on her lips. She would definitely die. Fast, without any pain, and in a humiliating way, and no one would be able to blame her.</p><p>The caress of Lena’s lips on her skin lasted a couple of seconds, just enough to send Kara’s heart in overdrive, before the woman pulled away and turned to put the baby down. “Thank you,” she whispered.</p><p>Kara didn’t think she could form any words, not when her brain had, once again, suffered a short-circuit. When did her mouth lose the ability to ramble words? Alex would be proud.</p><p>Lena covered the boy with his baby green sheet, pressed a kiss on two of her fingers, and then pressed the fingers on his cheek. She didn’t pull away completely, leaning against the railing with her forearms instead. She looked so peaceful and content that Kara didn’t have the heart to break the moment. So, Kara copied her, leaning with her crossed arms on the railing and resting her chin on top of them, even if it put her back at a weird angle. They just stood there, in comfortable silence, watching the baby boy from each side of the crib.</p><p>“Back in the park,” Lena whispered after a while and that must have been the first time Kara noticed her being hesitant and unsure about her words. So much so that she had to start again. “I thought you were going to kiss me back in the park.”</p><p>Surprisingly, Kara didn’t panic. She could have, she should have, but there was something in the way Lena’s voice was soothing and not accusing, how her eyes were soft and her expression relaxed that put her so at ease that Kara couldn’t help but be honest. No one in the world could bring her to such a state of calm.</p><p>“I wanted to,” she confessed just as low.</p><p>With barely any light in the room, Kara couldn’t see the shades of blue and green from Lena’s eyes when she turned her head to look at her. She felt their intensity though. “Me too.”</p><p>It was weird to say she felt like she was flying on her way back to Alex’s apartment because she was, in fact, flying. But there was no other way to describe the sensation that rushed over her and filled her chest. She almost crashed into a building on her way over but no one saw it and no one needed to know, so it was fine.</p><p>“She said that and you... didn’t say anything back?”</p><p>Kara groaned around her spoon and closed her eyes so she didn’t have to see the look her sister was giving her. “I didn’t know what to say!”</p><p>“It seems pretty obvious to me,” Alex mumbled under her breath, and Kara suspected she wasn’t supposed to hear that.</p><p>Super hearing, though. “I’m sorry, Miss Womanizer,” Kara mocked. “As far as I remember, you were a complete mess until Maggie.”</p><p>“Hey!” Alex glared at her and used her spoon to point at the blonde’s face. “I am <em>still</em> a mess!”</p><p>Kara huffed a laugh and nodded along. “That certainly makes two of us.”</p><p>“One more and we can open our own club,” Alex shrugged, shoving her spoon back in her ice-cream bowl.</p><p>“If we get enough people, we can establish our own town,” Kara sighed sadly.</p><p>“Singletown,” Alex tested the name before frowning. “Singleville?”</p><p>“Loserstown,” Kara offered with her mouth stuffed with chocolate cookie ice cream. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter.”</p><p>“It <em>does </em>matter,” her sister corrected eagerly, putting her ice cream down to lean with her elbows on her knees. “Kara, as much as I hate to say this, Lena is <em>so </em>into you that it’s painful to hear about.”</p><p>“Why would she be, though?”</p><p>“You’re not a complete idiot, some people find it attractive,” Alex remarked with a smirk followed shortly by a scoff when her sister didn’t laugh at her joke.</p><p>“No, Alex. It’s just...” the blonde sighed deeply, looking down at her ice cream with sorrow. There were only two spoonfuls left and she hoped Alex had refilled her ice cream supply because she would need much more of it by the end of the night. “What do I have to offer her? What can I possibly give them?”</p><p>The redhead threw her body back against her armchair with a sigh, crossed her hands behind her head so she could lean her head back and stare at the ceiling. “Love, perhaps.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Alex threw her a side glance. “There’s a lot of people who can give her things, or take her to travel the world and all of that shit most people want. Not everyone can shower her with the amount of love you have to give.” Kara didn’t reply and Alex knew her well enough to know what she was thinking, so she kept talking. “There’s no one else in this world who can love as much as you do. I believe they would both benefit a lot from having someone like you in their life. You know, good heart and a bit of a goof.”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter,” the blonde whispered after a couple of minutes in silence.</p><p>“It <em>does </em>matter,” Alex repeated with more conviction. “And a ton of other things matter as well, but that should be the thing that matters the most.”</p><p>“I hate when you speak like that.”</p><p>“Like what?”</p><p>Kara sighed. “Like I should make my own decisions.”</p><p>Her sister laughed happily, throwing her head back again. “It sucks to be an adult, huh?”</p><p>“Back on Krypton,” she started, her voice dropping to a sad tone like it usually did when she spoke of her home planet, “it would be way easier. Just throw my name in the codex, make some arrangements with the other family and there. All done.”</p><p>“I can get Lillian’s phone number if you wish.”</p><p>Their eyes slowly turned to meet, there was a pause where they just stared at each other, before they burst into laughter. It was loud and open, and Kara missed that. Missed their easy banter, the time they spend together chatting late at night about silly stuff, and the unique way Alex found to make her feel better about everything.</p><p>She knew, then and there, that even if things blew up in her face, Alex would be there.</p><p>And that was enough.</p><p>“So... Are we watching this movie or what?” Kara asked suddenly, leaning over to grab the remote from the coffee table. “And do you have more ice cream?”</p><p>Alex had more ice cream. Not enough ice cream, but more ice cream. And that was also enough, in the end.</p><p>She didn’t pay attention to the movie, of course. Her mind was fuzzy, her thoughts running a mile a minute, her heart slamming against her chest like a caged animal.</p><p>"She gave me her phone number," Kara confessed quietly during the credits, her eyes darting to her sister like she was waiting for an explosion.</p><p>It didn't happen, at least not that dramatically, but Alex looked at her with renewed interest and arched brows. "Did you text her already?"</p><p>"Alex," Kara scoffed like it was an insane thing to consider. Which, for her, it seemed like it was. "I just left her house. I don't want to look..."</p><p>"Desperate?" Alex prompted with a pointed look. "'Cus, sis, you are and you should. Just text her."</p><p>Alex was a good sister, she was a good friend and a good person in general, but sometimes, sometimes, Kara wondered why she tells her things. "What would I even say? We literally spent the whole afternoon together."</p><p>"Ask her out for dinner," the redhead shrugged and it must have been hard for her not to sound like it was a very obvious answer.</p><p>Kara appreciated her effort, not her words. "Alex!"</p><p>"What? It's not like you don't want to!" Her sister raised her hands in defense.</p><p>"I can't just ask her out!" That would be too easy, wouldn't it? To give Lena a reason to finally kick her out of their lives. And what would she do next? Lena had become such an important part of her life, she couldn't risk losing her or Liam.</p><p>"Yes, you can!" Alex rolled her eyes in that annoying way she did when Kara was being particularly obtuse and she took full offense to that. "Here, give me your phone."</p><p>Before Kara could react, because she knew her phone was in reaching distance from Alex, her sister leaned over and grabbed the device from where it was resting pressed against Kara's thigh. Kara gasped and threw her legs off the couch so she could slip into a sitting position, already trying to snap her phone from her sister's grip. When did she think that telling Alex her password was a good idea?</p><p>"Dear Lena," Alex started, her fingers moving way quicker than Kara thought was possible for her. "I would like to take you out for a nice dinner and to shove my tongue down your throat afterward. Tomorrow, at five?" Her voice acquired a pitch note at the end and she ended her teasing by looking up at Kara with a smirk.</p><p>She never thought about being violent with Alex before but that seemed like a great moment to start. "Alex, give me my phone back before you do something stupid."</p><p>Alex opened her mouth, probably to tease her a little more, but then her phone dinged - a text message, Kara recognized the ringtone - and the dark eyes went wide. "Oh, no."</p><p>Panic. Alex was panicking. Why was shepanicking? "Oh, no?" Kara repeated, her voice quickly escalating to match her sister's emotions all too well. "What the hell happened? Rao, tell me you didn't send it, Alex!" She would move. She was going to pack a bag and she would fly away so fast that the Road Runner would eat her dust.</p><p>"No, no!" The agent waved a hand, her voice lost some of the sheer panic and her smile returned. "I didn't even write anything, I was just messing with you."</p><p>Eliza would forgive her if she dropped Alex the next time she took her on a flight. It would be fine. "So what is it?"</p><p>"Lena just texted you," Alex informed her and finally placed Kara's phone in her open palm, that hadn't moved away the whole time. "But I had the conversation with her open and now she thinks you were staring at her photo because it shows that you already saw her message."</p><p>"Alex!" She was going to move anyway.</p><p>"So much for not looking desperate..."</p><p>"Give me that!" She snapped her hand away, bringing the phone too close to her face to read the message, hoping her reputation hadn’t been too damaged by her evil sister. Not that she needed Alex's help to ruin it.</p><p>"Sorry, sorry!" Her sister dared to laugh at her face. "And say yes!"</p><p>"Yes to what?" The blonde wondered aloud, although she had her answer a second later.</p><p>
  <em>"Hey. It's me, Lena. Sam and Ruby will leave town tomorrow night and Ruby wants to go to the museum before they go, so we're taking her tomorrow after lunch. Do you wish to join us?"</em>
</p><p>"Sam doesn't like me," Kara declared suddenly.</p><p>"I thought you said she didn't like Supergirl."</p><p>Kara gazed at her sister like she was crazy. "Did my glasses suddenly start working on you?"</p><p>"Please," Alex scoffed and pushed herself from the armchair to go fetch another beer for herself. "Those glasses are ridiculous."</p><p>"You said they would work!"</p><p>"Yes, I lied. Now, answer her."</p><p>Kara sighed, looking back at the message and considering her options. "I don't know, Al. I mean, they are best friends and there will be another kid around."</p><p>"What? Are you afraid of crowds now?" Alex huffed around her bottle. "I hope you don't need your big sis to hold your hand again." Kara must have the most expressive face on Earth because Alex knew immediately what she was thinking when she looked over at her with big, puppy eyes. "No. Absolutely not."</p><p>"You said you have nothing to do tomorrow."</p><p>"Yes, and doing nothing is better than being the fifth wheel on your date. No way in Hell."</p><p>Two minutes later, Kara texted her reply with a giant smile.</p><p>
  <em>"Sure! I will bring Alex so she doesn't get jealous!"</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Lena: Look, Liam, ducks! They're so cute. I wonder how they got here.<br/>Kara: ... Haha, me too. I have no idea. How did the ducks get in here? Wow, what a crazy world!<br/>Also Kara: *waving like crazy at Alex, who's running in the background holding two ducks under her arms and wondering where she should drop them*</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. A little bit of history</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here it is... Alex meets Lena, Sam, Ruby and Liam. Something you were all asking and praying about. Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I liked writing it!</p><p>Once again, and forever, thank you, my big helper!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kara adjusted her glasses for what had to be the sixth time in the short minute walk towards the opening gate. Alex insisted they took her bike, saying Kara owned her at least something for dragging her to "hell filled with screaming kids", which Kara didn't particularly understand because her sister loves the museum. They used to go all the time when they were younger and Alex loved to rub it in her face how smart she was.</p><p>"Maybe you should buy contact lenses."</p><p>Kara rolled her eyes and kept herself from shoving Alex away by smoothing down her sweater. "Should I have worn something else?"</p><p>"No. Why would you?" Alex sounded so certain of her words that Kara turned her head to look at her. Of course, her sister had a smirk and she was willing to bet her eyes were sparkling behind her dark sunglasses. "You wanted to look desperate, so this is perfect."</p><p>Gray slacks, white sneakers, dark green sweater on top of a white, blue, and gray checkered shirt, her usual black frames and hair tied back. Kara didn’t think she looked desperate. A little gay? Sure. So was Alex with her black jeans, white tank top, leather jacket, and combat boots. But not desperate, no.</p><p>(Was she <em>feeling </em>desperate? Totally different subject. So not the point)</p><p>“Kara!”</p><p>She was just crossing the door when she heard a girl’s voice calling out for her and she recognized Ruby’s cheerful tone immediately. The kid was just too chipper for her own good – and that, coming from Kara, was saying a lot. The blonde turned to the voice and easily spotted the four of them standing by the corner. Ms. Arias was sitting on a chair while reading the museum’s booklet, Ruby was standing in front of her with a gigantic smile and waving at them excitedly, and Lena, oh, Rao. Lena was pushing the stroller back and forth in slow motions and her face split in a large smile once she spotted Kara coming in her direction.</p><p>Lena was wearing a dark green dress with a deep v cut, high black heels, and her naturally curly hair was up in a well-made ponytail. If Kara wasn’t already smitten by her, she would definitely be now.</p><p>“Holy crap.”</p><p>“Yes,” Kara breathed out, her hand fidgeting with her glasses again. “She’s beautiful.”</p><p>“No shit. I mean, this jacket is feeling a little warm.”</p><p>That made Kara frown deeply. She glared at Alex from the corner of her eyes and pursed her lips. “Okay, I’m not comfortable with you saying that.”</p><p>“Why not?” Alex had pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and now Kara could see her gaze as much as she felt it. “I know you two didn’t get along that well, but you have to admit she looks hella good.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Both sisters stopped in their tracks suddenly, turning to face each other with such drastic different expressions that were funny to see. Kara had her eyes wide and mouth open while Alex had her brows furrowed and lips pressed together tightly. The blonde crossed her arms while the redhead put both hands on her hips and they just stared at each other for a while.</p><p>“What are you talking about?”</p><p>Alex scoffed. “The beautiful woman you forgot to mention was going to tag along. Well, you did mention her, you just forgot to mention the beautiful part.”</p><p>“Are you...” Kara tilted her head to the side. “Are you talking about Sam?”</p><p>Alex looked over Kara’s shoulder to the people waiting for them and ignoring the confused looks, before staring back at her sister with a short nod. “The beautiful woman wearing the jeans jacket?”</p><p>“You already said she’s beautiful.”</p><p>“Wait,” Alex shook her head with a snort. “Did you think I was talking about Lena? Sis, I like being alive, thank you very much.”</p><p>“Don’t be dramatic,” the theoretically younger sister rolled her eyes and they both resumed their walk. “And the girl beside Sam is her daughter, by the way.”</p><p>“That doesn’t make her any less hot.”</p><p>“Okay, gross.”</p><p>Alex chuckled and, to Kara’s horror, she puffed her chest and curled her lips in a smirk that could only mean ‘flirting’. That was the last thing Kara wanted to see. She had to suppress her wish to shove Alex away – it was her idea to bring her along after all – and prepared herself to speak with Lena again. Her heart, as she had become used to, was already beating way too fast.</p><p>"Hi," Kara greeted almost shyly with a short wave that quickly became a scratch on the back of her neck because waving just looked stupid.</p><p>Ruby, Rao bless the kid, wasn't having it. She raised her fist almost to Kara's face and waited for it to be bumped. It took Kara a few seconds to catch up because she was still too entranced by Lena to notice anything else, but thankfully Alex was there to rescue her. Her sister scoffed and, knowing her, probably rolled her eyes before she raised her own hand to fist bump the kid.</p><p>"Sorry, my sister is gay. I mean," Alex quickly corrected after Kara hit her pretty hard with the elbow. "Great. I meant great. I’m Alex, she’s Kara."</p><p>Ruby looked between them with a confused glare but surely decided adults were stupid. Lena, on the other hand, chuckled a beautiful sound as she took one hand from the stroller to reach out to Alex's hand. Her sister shook it, although not looking very pleased with it.</p><p>"Nice to meet you. Alex, right? I'm Lena."</p><p>"Hope my sister didn't tell you any lies."</p><p>"Just the good ones," Lena tilted her head to wink at Kara as they dropped their hands. Before the blonde could even recover from that - not that she had recovered from the dress just yet or, to be fully honest, the first time she ever saw Lena - the younger woman leaned to press a soft kiss on Kara's cheek. And when did that became a thing? It must have shown on her face because Alex snickered at her.</p><p>"Now that you two have been <em>great</em> together," they all turned to see Sam rising from her seat and Kara immediately cringed at the teasing tone attached to her words, "maybe we should introduce ourselves." The hand that wasn't holding her purse reached out for Alex to take, which her sister did way too fast to be casual. "Samantha Arias."</p><p>"Alex Danvers."</p><p>Oh, no. The flirtatious smirk was back. Glaring at her sister, she almost missed Lena's eyebrows raising in surprise while she stared at her friend. Did she notice something too?</p><p>"Ruby!" The kid shouted suddenly and that seemed to pull both women from their trance. Kara decided she really liked Ruby. "Ruby Arias."</p><p>Alex looked at the kid with a grin and waved a hand towards her. "Like Bond, huh?"</p><p>Ruby shook her head. "Better than Bond."</p><p>"Okay," Sam chanted as she placed both hands on Ruby's shoulders. "You better pray your kid is as humble as mine," she told Lena while squeezing Ruby's shoulder in a motherly way.</p><p>"Can we go now, mom?" The kid asked, bouncing on her feet. "Or we won't be able to see the Ocean and the Space exhibits."</p><p>"Well, I don't want to brag," Alex started and Kara knew her enough to know she was lying. "But I became a pro at museum visitations when I was a kid. I created a system that allows us to see every exhibit in three hours," she told the kid. That part was true.</p><p>"No way!" Ruby's eyes were as wide as plates and as excited as Kara at dinner time, and everyone just knew Alex had won her heart.</p><p>Kara glanced at her wristwatch. It took her what? Two minutes? Her sister was so unfair.</p><p>"Be careful," Sam commented with a grin. "Ruby will drag you around all day if you allow it."</p><p>Before Alex could reply to that, the kid suddenly rushed forward, running to the door that leads to the first exhibition. "Let's go!"</p><p>"Wrong side, kiddo!" Alex announced and Kara tried to remember when was the last time she sounded so cheerful. "We need to get to Egypt first."</p><p>Kara didn't move while her sister quietly followed the kid with both hands in her pockets, the girl's mother following them close behind with the booklet tucked under her arm. Neither did Lena, who hummed pensively while her friend walked away from her with a complete stranger.</p><p>"So, just to be sure because I'm so not good at these things," the blonde started slowly, drawing out the words. "They were flirting, right?"</p><p>"Without a doubt," Lena replied. "Sam was giving her the flirting smile."</p><p>Kara groaned. "So was Alex. What did we do?"</p><p>The other woman turned around on her heels with a large side smile that screamed "happily teasing you". "Hopefully, something good."</p><p>Apparently, all of Kara's rumbling with her clothes didn't pay off because Lena suddenly reached out to take the collar of her shirt from inside her sweater and her fingers fiddled with it for a second. What was Kara doing all this time? Not breathing, that's for sure.</p><p>"Is the skirt giving you a hard time again?"</p><p>The way Lena spoke was so soft and understanding, no judgment whatsoever, that Kara had no idea how to reply to that for a while. Her voice caught in her throat with a lump that brought tears to her eyes. Kara had no idea why she reacted like that but, at the same time, Lena's action caused a sense of peace and belonging to wash over her that Kara hand’t felt since before Krypton exploded.</p><p>It put her immediately and completely at ease, and Kara just knew she was free to be herself - her real self. Kara cleared her throat then and placed both hands on her waist. She ducked her head to look at her legs like she was allowed to know a secret something no one else was. "Well, these pants are too tight so I guess Supergirl will have to improvise if needed."</p><p>Lena followed her eyes after arching her eyebrows and it was like she had something to say about the pants too, but, instead, she raised her eyes to find blue ones. "Can't believe she would give everyone a show."</p><p>Kara laughed at that. "Who said anything about a show, Ms. Luthor? I said nothing about flying around with no pants on."</p><p>She hoped Lena would flush or be at least a bit embarrassed by that but the younger woman only smirked, that sinful smirk of hers, and quirked one brow. "What about private shows?"</p><p>Well, life really goes around, Kara decided because her face heated up so fast and so hard that there was no doubt she was as red as the cape of her suit. By the way Lena's smirk only widened that was the exact reaction she was waiting for, although there was softness lingering at the corner of her eyes that made it impossible for Kara to feel uncomfortable in any way. Lena would end up killing her, sure, but Kara would go down willingly.</p><p>"Hey!" They both jumped when Ruby's voice suddenly sounded beside them. "Alex said that if you two don't stop being great to each other, we won't be able to see the Jurassic!"</p><p>Kara looked over the kid's head to see her sister standing by the door they had disappeared from a few minutes ago, Sam standing by her side while both of them stared with knowing eyes that made Kara a thousand times more nervous than she was when she first walked inside the museum. Luckily for her, Lena came to the rescue.</p><p>"Sorry, Ruby. We will be right there."</p><p>"Hurry up!" And, just like that, the girl was gone again.</p><p>"She was way nicer to me when I was Supergirl," the blonde mumbled under her breath while watching the three other members of their group starting their walk for the second time - not without Alex giving her a knowing stare first.</p><p>Snapping out of her murderous plans, Lena chuckled by her side. "Supergirl is her hero, you can't blame her." Just as she started pushing the stroller, Kara quickly jumped in to take the task from her, gently nudging her side until she let it go. "But, Kara Danvers," Lena started after another round of giggles. The blonde turned her head to give her full attention when suddenly the woman linked their arms by curling her left one on her right, hand resting just above the inside of her elbow. "You're <em>my</em> hero."</p><p>Kara tripped. She literally tripped on her own feet. It was a list of things that caused it, all of them connected straight to Lena, but none of those she wished to acknowledge. It was embarrassing. If there was a hole in the groud, Kara would definitely jump in it and disappear.</p><p>Just when she started considering digging a hole herself, Lena's chuckle reached her ears and everything was fine. There was nothing wrong in the world when Lena was happy, she decided right then and there.</p><p>"What about Liam?" Kara asked after she recovered.</p><p>They finally turned a corner and were closer to the other three now, albeit they still were some good feet in front of them. The museum, as expected on a Sunday, was almost empty, but the space was big enough that no one could hear the other conversations going on around - not considering Kara's super hearing. That said, Kara was sure that Alex could never say something as funny as it sounded by the way Sam threw her head back to laugh at it. Her sister wasn't <em>that</em> funny.</p><p>"What about him?"</p><p>Kara looked back at Lena, then down at the sleeping baby resting carefree on his stroller. Apparently, he was too young to appreciate history, go figure. "Do you think changing his diapers will make me a better hero to him or I will lose to Supergirl again? I mean, he peed on me once. Which, by the way, thanks for mentioning it could happen.”</p><p>“I did warn you to keep the diaper covering things,” Lena reminded her with one arched eyebrow. "But I won’t deny it was funny to see my son peeing on Supergirl. Now, tell me, is it weird to speak about yourself in the third person?"</p><p>"So much," Kara breathed in such relief that someone finally brought it up that her body leaned forward until her arms were resting on the stroller.</p><p>Lena laughed again and patted her back in sympathy. "I'm sure he will adore all of you," she responded. Once again, her voice was overflowing with fondness and gentleness, and Kara tilted her head to look at her again - would she ever get enough of seeing Lena? Probably not. They kept walking, Kara trusting her other senses to stop her from bumping into something, and Lena trusting her to keep both her and her kid from doing the same. "I know I do."</p><p>Her tone was final, yet so filled with emotions - so many that Kara couldn't even bring herself to start dissecting them. The blonde stopped walking all of sudden, just staring at Lena while her heart swelled in her chest. She was assaulted by the wish to lean over and wrap her arms around Lena, to keep her close and kiss her lips. Kara was falling in love so hard that it wasn't even funny.</p><p>"Did you know that the biggest pyramid is located at Giza?" Kara was really losing her touch if Ruby was sneaking up on them for the second time. "It's the Pyramid of Khufu!"</p><p>Kara smiled - because Lena was beautiful, Ruby was funny and she loves history of any kind - and turned to look at the girl, also straightening her body. "And did you know that the Egyptian alphabet had more than 700 hieroglyphs back in the day?" she asked back and Ruby's face lit in excitement. "And I know 462 of them."</p><p>"No way!" Were the Danvers sisters in her good book yet or what?</p><p>"You just wait until we get to the dinosaurs," Alex commented from her spot in front of them. "Kara will talk your ear off."</p><p>"We need to get to the Ocean exhibit first!"</p><p>Ruby must be the first kid that ever got so excited about the Ocean exhibit. They should put her picture on a wall or something, Kara decided when they started following the girl around. </p><p>"Do you really know 462 hieroglyphs?" Lena asked on the way to the Ocean exhibit. The walls were starting to fade from yellow to blue, there were little fishes painted around and Kara could hear the mechanic sound of waves coming from inside the room holding the exposure.</p><p>"Well," Kara leaned closer to her and lowered her voice, a mischievous smirk on her lips. "Surely she’s not going to sit down and count all the ones I know.”</p><p>At that, Lena threw her head back in a laugh that filled the entire space around them. She quickly moved a hand to put muffle the sound, and Kara instantly regretted that they were in a place Lena didn't feel comfortable enough to just allow herself to enjoy a silly joke. Kara loved her laugh, she lived for her laugh nowadays, she wished she could hear it every day, all day.</p><p>"Not a complete jerk though," Kara continued after a while. "I know a few, just not an exact number."</p><p>Lena shook her head. "Ruby would be crushed."</p><p>They both turned to look at the girl, who was now even more further away from them. Sam and Alex were walking side by side just a few steps behind her, Liam was still asleep, and Kara felt a little... giddy, to be honest.</p><p>"I bet you that Alex will say something about the whales as soon as we see the one hanging on the ceiling."</p><p>Narrowing her eyes, Lena glanced at her with pursed lips and challenge in her eyes. "That's not fair. You're her sister."</p><p>Kara shrugged. "Alex doesn't like this part of the museum. She loves the space stuff."</p><p>"Still not fair."</p><p>"Okay, let's level this out," Kara prompted with newfound eagerness. She clicked her tongue while thinking about how they could do it before she smiled wildly. "If Alex doesn't say anything about the whales, you win. But if Sam laughs about whatever she says then I win."</p><p>She must have said something right because Lena was now eyeing her like she was seeing Kara for the very first time. It was a little disconcerting, but Kara liked the way it made her feel. "Are you saying that your sister is throwing random facts around because she wants to impress my friend?"</p><p>Kara nodded without missing a beat. "And your friend is laughing at every word my sister says because... well, she doesn't have good taste, I suppose." The blonde shrugged.</p><p>Lena tilted her head to the side, pursed her lips to the right, then left, then she nodded. "I won't complain about the sister she picked." Before Kara could even start to wonder what that meant, the younger woman nodded as though they had just made a commercial deal. "Fine. What does the winner get?"</p><p>"There will be a prize?"</p><p>"This is a bet, isn't it?"</p><p>Fair, Kara decided. "Okay. What do you suggest?"</p><p>Just like that, Kara knew she had fallen right into Lena's trap. It was well planned and excellently executed. Well done, really. "The loser buys dinner."</p><p>"Deal," she replied without missing a beat because Kara Zoe-El wasn't one to back away from a challenge.</p><p>Just a minute later, they finally crossed the doors that lead to the Ocean<strike>'s</strike> exhibit., and immediately after crossing they already spotted the gigantic blue whale exposed <strike>at</strike> on the ceiling. It was a life size model hanging from steel cables and it was impossible to miss. Just as Kara was expecting, Alex saw it as well. She nudged the kid in her shoulder and pointed at the blue whale like there was a possibility Ruby hadn't see it.</p><p>"That's not something you see every day," Alex commented, and, to her credit, she didn't look half as impressed as she sounded.</p><p>Kara snorted under her breath and leaned to whisper in Lena's ear. "Yes, a flying whale is very hard to find."</p><p>The Luthor woman laughed again, this time gathering the attention from the other people in their group. Lena probably didn't notice them though, because she was too busy staring at Kara with her slightly different eyes and making the blonde's heart jump to the roof. The only reason Kara saw that they were being watched was that her sister's stare was impossible to miss. Well, too bad for her because Kara was taking bets on her love life, so whatever.</p><p>It took Alex less than a minute before she pointed at the skull of whatever Ruby stopped to study and said: "the record for a cetacean to have gone the deepest in the ocean is 1.9 miles and it was a cuvier's beaked whale." Lena gave her a pointed look that could only mean victory but Kara raised a finger to silently ask her to wait. "It also stayed underwater for over two hours, which is the same amount of time I sleep every night."</p><p>It was a terrible joke. Kara almost cringed at that. Her sister might not be the funniest person alive but she could do so much better than that. Of course, Sam had a different view on that. The taller brunette laughed like it was the funniest thing ever and then it was time for Kara to turn around and give Lena a knowing look. A little smug too, she would admit.</p><p>She was surprised though because Lena didn't look even a bit sad that she lost the bet. In fact, her smile was so large that Kara could perfectly see her double dimples on each cheek - the same dimples she had daydreamed about kissing on more than one occasion, but that was hardly the point.</p><p>"Guess you owe me dinner," Kara said, although clearly confused.</p><p>"Oh, no," Lena replied and she was trying to make it sound like she was feeling sorrowful. "Guess I do." Sam was laughing again behind them and, for some reason, Kara had the suspicion that it was because of her face this time around. "Are you free this Friday? I can get a nanny for the night."</p><p>A nanny? Why would she need a... oh.</p><p>Oh!</p><p>A <em>dinner </em>dinner. Like, a dinner that's not inside. A dinner that's not the rest of a pizza or two mugs of tea kind of dinner. Oh.</p><p>Kara did <em>not </em>realize that was the dinner Lena had in her mind.</p><p>Was she going to complain?</p><p>Absolutely not.</p><p>Behind her, she heard Ruby saying: "The ocean is just whale pee, right?"</p><p>To which Alex replied with: "Yes, and you swim in that, kiddo."</p><p>"Is that why it feels warm sometimes?”</p><p>“Yes, it gets warmer right after they pee.”</p><p>“I don't care if it's pee. It's still nice."</p><p>Lena arched one eyebrow, still waiting for a reply. Kara nodded and she never felt more sure about anything else in her life. "Yes, I'm free."</p><p>"Good."</p><p>Kara was about to say something - anything else really, literally anything else just so she would stop looking crazy - when she felt something tugging at the sleeve of her sweater. It was a little comical because Ruby was already tall enough to be reaching her chest, but there she was.</p><p>"Kara, did you know you swim in whales' pee?"</p><p>Kara looked at her as seriously as she could get. "Did you know birds poop on themselves so they don't get warm?"</p><p>Ruby blinked up at her slowly before shrugging. "Ladybugs eat their own eggs. Birds are cool."</p><p>"I like this kid," she heard Alex whispering to herself, and, yes, she would have to agree.</p><p>"As the only adult around," Sam stated while rolling her eyes, albeit her stance was broke by the way she was smiling. "I say we should have a break for snacks."</p><p>"As the other adult, I agree." Lena reached one hand out to smooth Kara's sweater, gaining her undivided attention again. "What do you say?"</p><p>"As the kid, I say ice cream!" Ruby declared happily.</p><p>Kara pointed at her over her shoulder. "I agree with the kid."</p><p>"Of course you do," Lena rolled her eyes before her lips parted in a fond smile. "Come on, there's a place nearby."</p><p>"Wait, if we have a break now, we will have enough time to see the Space exhibit?"</p><p>"We can never skip space," Kara told Ruby with a firm nod. "We will be back."</p><p>Which, admittedly, was easier said than done. It was Sunday and the museum might have been empty - because who goes to a museum on a Sunday - but the ice cream shop was not. It wasn't the same place as the one Kara and Lena shared a cone the other day - and no, she was still not over that - but it was a much more known shop, which meant it had even more costumers in it. Soon after getting there, Ruby started complaining about having to be standing, so Sam suggested she go find them a table. The girl came back a minute later saying there was one in the back, out of sight, which made her mother uncomfortable to let her go alone.</p><p>Of course, that meant Kara and Alex sacrificed themselves to wait in line while the other three, and the baby, headed for the table. Once they were alone, both sisters exchanged a look that said everything they needed to know. They were whipped for two women who weren't their partners and two kids who weren't theirs. And, to be honest, they were fine with it.</p><p>"At least I’ve known Lena for more than a day," Kara mumbled under her breath, making sure it was loud enough that her sister could hear her, and rolled her eyes more dramatically than the situation required.</p><p>Alex, being the one who taught her that, also rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, at least I already have a date scheduled. You are just chasing the poor woman around."</p><p>"You have a... You... A da-... Alex!" The blonde stared at the agent with wide eyes and, she had to admit, admiration. Her sister was so, so unfair.</p><p>Alex nodded, sliding her sunglasses back on her face to add to her act, Kara was sure. "She's leaving tonight to solve some shit out in Metropolis, but they will be back in a week or two because Sam is helping Lena to put her family company back on track. We will go out on a date once she's back."</p><p>Kara whistled lowly, not making a sheer minimum of effort to hide how impressed she was. "Really?"</p><p>"Do you think we're going too fast?" Alex asked and a single eyebrow rose from behind her glasses. "Maybe I should sit on her roof for a month first. Or maybe invade her house to take care of her kid without her knowing."</p><p>Low. It was like stabbing her in the back. Kara was not going to let it hit her though because next Friday was coming and it was going to be awesome. "... To be fair, I think Ruby would be the one taking care of you." Alex nodded along. "And shut up. Lena asked me for... dinner this Friday."</p><p>"Dinner?"</p><p>"The thing you eat at the end of the day."</p><p>Her sister snorted. "I don't understand why Lena put up with you until now."</p><p>"Well, do me a favor and don't ask. We can't have her thinking too hard about it and take notice of how fucked up I am." It was a joke. Or half a joke. It was meant to make Alex laugh but her sister tilted her head, her glasses falling lower on her nose until she was facing hard, brown eyes.</p><p>"Kara."</p><p>"We're not doing this." The blonde quickly spun around so she was facing the balcony and her eyes started reading the different flavors she could pick up from. It took her less than a second to notice she forgot to ask what Lena wanted.</p><p>"She's lucky to have you," her sister said behind her despite her protest.</p><p>"She doesn't."</p><p>"Well, she will be when she has you, then." She felt Alex shrugging behind her. "Either way, she seems like a nice person. I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time in the beginning."</p><p>"She's the <em>best </em>person, Al." There wasn't a mirror nearby but Kara could feel every muscle in her face melting into a gigantic smile that had no other explanation other than 'hey, I'm talking about the person I love'. Which was crazy because <em>love </em>was a way too strong word to use, especially that soon. Especially when there wasn’t even anything going on to be considered too soon. Especially if Kara had to think too much about all of that.</p><p>"Okay, Romeo, you're next and you're paying."</p><p>Alex balanced two small vanilla ice cream cones in one hand, one on top of the other, and a gigantic cone with three ice cream balls in the other while Kara held two cones and her wallet as they walked to the table in the back of the store. Ruby lit up like it was Christmas morning when she saw them approaching the table and, if Kara wasn't Supergirl, she could have suspected it was Ruby because the cone was gone from Alex's hand so fast that her sister was left blinking at her empty hand.</p><p>"Thank you, Alex!"</p><p>"You're welcome, kiddo."</p><p>Alex ignored Kara's glare, choosing to sit on an empty chair beside Sam and handing her one of the vanilla ice creams. The blonde rolled her eyes but was instantly distracted when Lena pulled a chair for her. Kara slid down on it with a smile, making sure not to bump the stroller that was positioned between the chairs.</p><p>"Wasn't sure what you wanted," Kara said. "So I'm going to let you choose." She reached out both hands, putting the cones in front of her face and arching one eyebrow. "Lemon or Chocolate Fudge Brownie."</p><p>Chocolate Fudge Brownie was Kara's favorite ice cream flavor since the first time she was introduced to the earthling dessert. And Lena just looked like someone who would skip dessert all together or ask for the lemon tart, which was why Kara picked up that one. Obviously, Lena surprised her by flicking her eyes towards the chocolate fudge ice cream instead of the lemon one, but she didn't move to take it. Kara looked at the cone a bit longingly before she handed it over with a wink.</p><p>"I won't tell anyone."</p><p>Lena curled her finger around the cone with a smile. "You better not. If my mother asks, I’ve never tasted sugar."</p><p>"Why would she want you to be unhappy?" The blonde swept her tongue over the lemon ice cream, trying hard not to cringe at the bitterness - why people put lemon on things that were supposed to be sweet? She would never know.</p><p>"If you ask her, I'm sure she will have a long list to share with you."</p><p>"Yeah, maybe you could give us her number," Alex commented from her chair, sunglasses positioned on top of her head again. "I think Kara wanted to talk to her."</p><p>Kara gaped at her sister for a long second before she huffed, rolled her eyes, and took a bite from her ice cream. Before she could think of a reply though - because Lena was giving her a weird look – there was a small whine by her left, and Rao bless Liam and his perfect timing. She spun around on her chair so she could peek inside the stroller and, sure enough, the boy was just opening his eyes after his nap.</p><p>“Hey, LK.” The blonde looked around to figure out what to do with her ice cream before she all but shoved her cone into Alex’s hand. Her sister yelped in surprise but her reflexes were working just fine despite the fact that 80% of her attention was directed at the pretty brunette sitting by her side. Once she had both hands free, Kara leaned over to remove the safety belt and take Liam out of the stroller. “Sup, little guy? Welcome to the world of the living. You were sleeping since forever.”</p><p>The boy yawned before resting his cheek against her shoulder and Kara couldn’t handle how cute he was. Lena smiled at them as she reached a hand to remove some of Liam’s hair from his forehead. “It’s amazing how he always knows when it’s time to eat,” she joked.</p><p>“It’s a very useful ability,” Kara complained with a fond eye roll. “Alex tried to hide her cookies from me when we were kids but I always knew when she was eating them.”</p><p>Alex huffed but she was looking at Ruby when she spoke again. “She owes me money for all of the cookies she stole from me.”</p><p>The girl chuckled and no one was surprised that her ice cream was almost all gone. Well, Kara appreciated people who could eat. Liam suddenly wailed again, and Kara gently shushed him before moving him around until she was sitting on her lap, facing the rest of the table. She held his hands, letting his grab her index fingers with his little fingers, and pointed at Alex.</p><p>“That’s Alex. I know she’s scary, but you don’t have to cry.”</p><p>Like the adult she was, the redhead stuck out her tongue at her sister and everyone else laughed – well, Liam laughed because everyone was doing so. Just then Alex leaned over, making sure to keep Kara’s ice cream and her own away from the baby’s prying hands until she was at the same eye level as Liam.</p><p>“Hi, kiddo.”</p><p>It was impossible that Alex just turned out to be so funny on that particular day, but Liam giggled as soon as she spoke and let go of Kara’s fingers to clap his hands. Before Kara could start to get worried she wasn’t his favorite anymore, Liam turned his head to look up at her with a huge toothless smile and her heart melted.</p><p>“So, Kara, what do you do for work?<strike>”</strike> Sam asked after the baby boy was happily set, playing with a napkin he grabbed from the table.</p><p>“I work at CatCo,” the blonde replied, one hand holding the other end of the napkin so it wouldn’t fall. “Well, worked, I guess. Cat Grant is leaving National City so I suppose I will have to search for another job soon.”</p><p>“You’re a reporter?” Lena was the one who asked this time. Unlike Ruby, she was using the plastic spoon to eat her ice cream and there was still half of it left on the cone.</p><p>“I’m Ms. Grant’s assistant. Not a reporter,” Kara shook her head.</p><p>“By the way you speak, could have fooled me.”</p><p>There it was, that smirk again. The same smirk that made Kara forget how to breathe and work her legs properly. Kara wondered, not for the first time, if she would ever get used to it to the point where it wouldn’t affect her like that. She doubted it, to be honest. There wasn’t a way on Earth that Lena would ever make her heart skip less than at the speed of a hummingbird’s wings.</p><p>“They’re being great again,” she heard Sam talking over the table.</p><p>“Can I be great too?” Ruby asked suddenly and everyone else paused. It was like they all froze, no one moved, no one breathed. They just stared at each other, not sure what to say or how to handle it. Then, Ruby scoffed. “I know you mean gay, I was just messing with you.”</p><p>“You have a great kid,” Alex commented after the initial shock they all shared and, once again, Kara had to agree.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kara: Name three things you love, go!<br/>Ruby: The museum, ice cream and people being great!<br/>Alex: ... Did she meant it like... great great or gay great?<br/>Lena: I don't even know.<br/>Sam: I raised a good kid. She meant both.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Musical Notes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Guys, this is not a drill! That's all I'm saying...</p><p>Helper, dear helper, you're amazing, thank you &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kara hadn't appreciated the green dress enough, she decided while walking behind Lena to enter the woman's penthouse. It was tight. Not sinfully tight, more like a classy tight, something that showed enough, but not too much, and made her eyes pop. Her eyes became a mystery, though. Kara wasn't sure if it was just the light or if they were different colors like she suspected.</p><p>Either way, every time Lena looks at her, her heart starts to race.</p><p>Back to the dress, it was beautiful and it made Lena look... regal, even. Especially in the way she walked and acted with it. Like she was royalty and everyone else around her had no other choice but to fall into a trance watching her.</p><p>And, if she was royalty, the penthouse was her castle. Just like the woman's heart, it was fortified and secured, Kara learned. You need passwords to make the elevator work, and passwords for the door, and passwords to the garage, and the windows were bulletproof...</p><p>"... and I installed sensors all around my floor after I moved in," Lena continued her chatting while pushing the door open and motioning for Kara to follow her. "It might seem stupid, I'm 47 floors above the ground, but we never know with my family history."</p><p>Kara, who was pushing the stroller under her own insistence, had no problem waiting until she removed her heels by the door before getting further inside. It amused her a little bit, to be honest. Lena was much shorter without her ridiculously high high-heels. Without them, the top of her head barely reached her nose and... Sensors?</p><p>It demanded a verbal questioning. "Sensors?"</p><p>Lena looked over her shoulder briefly on her way to the kitchen. "Yes. I have them on the balcony and all over the sides of the building. Large rate, but they only go off if something lands here."</p><p>Lands here? Like an animal or a person? Like Kara? Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. That was bad.</p><p>Suddenly Kara wished she hadn't sent Alex away saying she would walk Lena back because she didn't want to be there anymore.</p><p>Trying to keep her cool, or what was left of it, Kara pushed the stroller until she reached the middle of the living room, then she turned it around so the baby was facing her before bending to take him from inside. Liam hadn't gone back to sleep since they gave him his bottle before leaving the ice cream shop, but he also wasn't fussing around so Kara put him down on his playmat and sat down on the large, comfortable white couch. Her legs felt wobbly.</p><p>"So, uh," there wasn't a delicate way to put it, was there? "You knew I... That I, well, you know that I used to... stay around?"</p><p>Stay around was better than what was initially in her head, so she would go with that.</p><p>Lena must have heard her hesitation, or embarrassment, because she quickly turned around, holding two cups filled with water, and started walking towards the blonde with her brows slightly arched in a soft manner. She handed one of the cups to Kara, who thanked her, before sitting down beside her and crossing her legs. She looked like a queen on her throne.</p><p>"How honest you want me to be?"</p><p>Kara snorted. "It's your house I invaded, so I guess you can be as honest as you would like."</p><p>Lena leaned over to put her hand on top of Kara's on the soft cushion, both of their water going ignored and the baby boy happily rolling around by their feet. "I knew you were here, yes."</p><p>"Oh, Rao," the hero groaned, suddenly assaulted by the almost unbearable wish to disappear.</p><p>Maybe if she thought hard enough, she would get sucked inside a black hole and never see the light again. Since that seemed unlikely, Kara chose to close her eyes instead and throw her body back against the couch because maybe the cushions were large enough to swallow her. The hand on hers didn't let her mind travel, though. Lena squeezed her hand gently, and Kara forced her eyes to open again - she owed Lena the right to look at her in the eyes while calling her a stalker.</p><p>"Did you know it was me or...?"</p><p>"I knew," Lena nodded. "I have cameras that send the images to my tablet."</p><p>"Ugh," she sighed. "It can't get any worse." But, just in case it could, she started explaining herself. Was there an explanation, though? Well, she was good on rambling, she would find one as she went. "I'm sorry, Lena. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or..."</p><p>"You didn't." She didn't go far on her ramble, huh? Lena was looking at her with a small smile and a tilt in her head that was just... cute. No other word for that. "I mean, at first you did. I was confused, scared even, but..."</p><p>"Scared?" The blonde wondered, although the shock shouldn't have happened. She did stalk the woman like a creep. What did she expect?</p><p>Lena took a deep breath before her eyes slowly moved to the baby laying on the floor. "I didn't know why you were here. I thought... Well, my mind always goes to the worse option possible, so I kept thinking you were after me or my son for what my family did."</p><p>"Lena, I would never!" Kara gasped, her hand immediately grasped at Lena's and her body shot back up to a normal sitting position so she could look at the woman right in her eyes. "I would never do anything against you or Liam. <em>Never</em>."</p><p>The brunette's face softened again and she squeezed Kara’s hand back. "I know," she whispered. "I know that now, but I’m a mother with a newborn baby and I have a very long list of people who would love to harm us."</p><p>"Well, you give me that list," Kara demanded firmly and with short nods. "I will make sure to go after every one of them so no one can hurt you." And, just because she could see Lena didn't believe her completely, she leaned in, puffed her chest and pushed her shoulders back. "No one is going to hurt you or Liam. I will make sure of it."</p><p>She also made sure not to say that no one would hurt them when she was around because, even when she wouldn’t be, Kara would guarantee they would be taken care of. She had friends and connections, and people would be crazy to underestimate how far she was willing to go to keep those dear to her safe. If needed, Kara would find ways.</p><p>For a second she worried she might have said the wrong thing, though, because Lena's eyes reddened with tears before she opened the most beautiful smile Kara had ever seen. "Thank you, Kara."</p><p>"You don't have to thank me," the blonde replied quietly. "You and Liam mean a lot to me." Hopefully, she wouldn't ask why.</p><p>"Most people wouldn't touch a Luthor with a ten feet pole, but here you are," Lena huffed a laugh and used her free hand to point at Kara's direction.</p><p>"They have no idea what they're missing," Kara smiled, leaning back to add some needed inches between them. "But, to be fair, some of you are a little scketchy."</p><p>Lena chuckled, albeit a bit bitterly, and ducked her head. "Yes, well, to answer your question, I knew you were out there. I just didn't know what on fucking Earth Supergirl was doing here."</p><p>No need to be a genius to realize Lena wasn't in the mood to talk about her family, so Kara allowed her to change back to the main subject, but she put a pin on that for later. "So, when you found me inside..." She felt her cheeks burning with a blush and knew there was no way she could try to hide it.</p><p>"I knew you had come inside, yes," Lena sighed. "When I saw you holding Liam I thought... For a second, I thought you were going to take him away from me."</p><p>"I'm sorry. I know what I did was wrong. I didn't mean to scare you or anything."</p><p>"What were you doing?" The younger woman asked with her brows slightly furrowed.</p><p>Kara decided she could, and should, also be honest. She owed that, at least. "You had just fallen asleep and you sounded tired before, so when Liam started crying I didn't want him to wake you up. So, I just... tried to help. All the other days I just stayed around to see if I could help in any other way."</p><p>In the end, she shrugged, trying to play it off as just something she casually decided to add on her agenda one day, but there was no hope to make it sound that way when Lena was aware of all the nights she spent sitting on her roof, and all the times she landed on her balcony and almost came inside. There was no way it could be played off as a normal thing when she was now sitting in front of Lena under her human name. Alex would have laughed in her face if she was there.</p><p>Speaking of human name, that reminded her of something.</p><p>"My real name is not Danvers," Kara commented after a few seconds of silence where it looked like Lena was trying to digest her words. "Guess you knew that part already. I use Danvers, and I love it, I love being a Danvers, I love being Alex's sister and Eliza's daughter, but my real name is Zor-El. Kara Zor-El."</p><p>Kara Zor-El. The last daughter of Krypton, the Girl of Steel, one of the last two Kryptonians alive in the Universe. She's proud of her heritage, of who she is and where she came from.</p><p>Yet, she goes by the name Danvers and can count on the fingers of one hand the number of people who know her real identity. It's not the type of information she gives lightly. There were probably more people than there should be who knew Kara Danvers is Supergirl, but there was only a handful of those who knew Kara Zor-El existed.</p><p>Unlike the times she came out as Supergirl, or that unique time she came out as Kara Danvers to Lena, she wasn't nervous. Not about that, at least. About many other things - Lena knowing about her nightly routine, their upcoming dinner on Friday, her sister doing something to embarrass her - but not about that. She trusted Lena enough to share herself with her, so why would she get nervous about it?</p><p>One more time, she was right about Lena.</p><p>"I loved to meet her this weekend," the woman whispered, paused, and then chuckled softly. "We have the same sense of humor."</p><p>Kara also smiled, her chest warming up when her brain provided her with the sound of Lena's laugh. "I doubt I'm as funny as Alex is, though."</p><p>"God," Lena grimaced. "They were flirting so much!"</p><p>"Yes, they were." It was painful to watch, uncomfortable to witness, and scary to think about. But Kara would admit they seemed good for each other. "I guess I will have to make an effort to make Supergirl get on Sam's good side again, huh?"</p><p>"Give her a break," the Luthor asked with a smirk. They both paused when Liam giggled at the floor and turned their heads to look at him. He was just trying to reach a stuffed elephant with his uncoordinated hands but that seemed to be enough for him. When Lena's eyes moved up again, her smile had faltered a bit. "She is a bit mad at you after the hospital."</p><p>"The hospital?"</p><p>"Yes," Lena sighed and bent to grab the elephant so she could put it closer to Liam. He was giving signs that he was going to start crawling soon, or at least get on his hands and knees. "She walked into my room saying Supergirl was outside and I told her you were the one who brought me in." She was still watching Liam but blue eyes kept staring at her without hesitation. "Sam asked me why you were still around, so I told her you would pick up some blankets and would be back. But she had the blankets and you were gone, so I knew you wouldn't come back. With the pregnancy hormones and all, it was bad. She got mad at you because of that. It's stupid, as I said before, you had no obligation to stay, and I told her that, but Sam was adamant you shouldn't have just left."</p><p>"She's right," Kara agreed after little consideration. "I told you I would be back, then I just flee the hospital and showed up on your roof a few days later. I should have stayed. Or talked to you, at least."</p><p>Lena was frowning when she looked back at her - Liam decided to roll on his back and was now holding the elephant with his surprisingly strong hands. "I'm sure you had a reason to leave, and you told me so. As I said, you didn't have to stay around. Other people could have needed your help."</p><p>"Even if that was the case, even if I got called for an emergency, I still should have told you. Lena, I'm sure you were so confused about me being there, and then I just vanished. I can see why Sam has a problem with me."</p><p>"Don't think too much about it, Kara," the brunette chipped in with a shake of her head. "I promise you my abandonment issues made that a bigger deal than it was, it's fine. Besides, Sam likes you. Supergirl will just have to take her for another walk, I guess."</p><p>"Rao," Kara rolled her eyes. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep track of the people who like me?"</p><p>Lena gave her a sympathetic pat on the back of her hand. "It must be hard to live a double life."</p><p>"Well, it can be," the blonde shrugged, the mischievous feeling coming back now that the harder part of the conversation was over. "But I try to focus only on the best of both worlds."</p><p>Her companion blinked as her brows furrowed and her mind started to work around the words like they should ring a bell. Kara gave her some time but the younger woman certainly wasn’t about to recognize her reference, so she cringed a little into herself because, Rao’s sake, of course Lena wouldn’t understand it.</p><p>“Sorry. That was a Disney reference,” Kara cleared her throat and ducked her head. “Anyway, I would like to formally apologize for what I did. I shouldn’t have come inside your apartment like that and I shouldn’t have stayed outside your building like... a creep.”</p><p>Lena sighed deeply at that. “No, you shouldn’t have.”</p><p>Kara nodded. “I’m truly sorry. I have no words to describe how very sorry I am. I just... I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to stay close but I didn’t know how. There was something pulling me close and I just couldn’t stay away. That doesn’t excuse it, I know, but... But I’m sorry.”</p><p>“I accept your apologies,” Lena declared with a small grin. “And I promise not to tell anyone that Supergirl likes to stay in the shadows like Batman.”</p><p>Kara laughed in delight. "As long as I’m forgiven, I guess I can live with that," she declared. "But I promise you I will never do such a thing ever again, never. And I also promise to be completely and totally honest about anything you want to ask me about. So, you can ask me anything."</p><p>It appeared by the way Lena's eyes sparkled that she would take Kara up on the offer, but a pitching ringtone suddenly cut the air around them and Kara knew she had to go. Her sister might disapprove of her newfound bond with a Luthor but she would never pull Kara away from her time with Lena if she didn't have to. It was important for her to be there, to be with them, and her sister knew it. Sighing, Kara pulled the ringing phone from her back pocket and saw the alert sent by the DEO.</p><p>
  <em>"Bank robbery. Ten armed criminals. Dangerous. No hostages. Risk of explosion."</em>
</p><p>Kara really wanted to ask those guys once she got them who on Earth stole from a bank on a Sunday. Wasn't it the Lord’s day or something for Earth people? Those guys were cutting her time with the Luthors short.</p><p>And whoever thought a Super would want to spend time with a Luthor? Kal would flip a table if he found out, for sure.</p><p>"I have to go," Kara announced and even she could hear how disappointed she sounded - way to sound cool - so she cleared her throat and tried again, already slipping on her superhero part. "There's a robbery I have to help the police with."</p><p>However, if the DEO was involved, the robbers weren't normal robbers - or were, at the very least, more dangerous than most - but Lena didn't need to know that. Kara pushed herself to a standing position before she used her superspeed to put her glass back on the sink. She was back before Lena was even aware she was gone, the woman blinked in confusion when a stream of air hit her. The hero tried not to smile at how cute she looked, choosing to crouch by the floor to pat Liam's round belly.</p><p>"Hey, big guy, I have to go. Don't make a mess in your bath again, okay? See you." She took the elephant from his hand for a second, just to boop his nose with the animal's trunk, then put it back where it was before and got up.</p><p>Lena was standing too now, just straightening her body after leaning over to put her glass on the side table. Now with her free hands, she started smoothing down her dress and fidgeting with her fingers in a gesture Kara recognized as a nervous habit. "Are you coming back later? To put him to sleep, I mean. He loves when you rock him to sleep."</p><p>There was no amount of alien robbers who could keep her from coming back, she decided right there. "Please, LK loves when you read to him even more." Kara did too. She loved walking around the room, holding little Liam in her arms, bouncing him gently while Lena read one of the baby books from her place sitting in the armchair. That was her favorite moment of any day. "I will be back." Remembering their earlier conversation, Kara reached out with one hand to hold both of Lena's to stop her moving and fiddling. "And I mean it this time."</p><p>The shorter woman smiled at her, a real, honest, relaxed, relieved smile that made it a thousand times harder for Kara to take a step back. She needed to get going. Her suit was in her apartment and she had to get in the bank to use her x-ray vision to search for bombs.</p><p>With that in mind, the hero walked to the front door - because she couldn't just fly away in her human clothes, neither have the doorman thinking she never left - and opened it. She turned around when she noticed Lena was right behind her, following her with her feet bare noisily hitting the floor. Lena's forehead was marked by crinkles and she looked, altogether, worried.</p><p>"Be safe, okay?" The woman almost demanded, her voice firm and certain, but Kara saw right through her by the way her palms were pressed against her stomach and her breath seemed harder than it was a few minutes ago.</p><p>Consciously forcing her posture to relax, Kara smiled. "Hey, don't worry. Girl of Steel, remember? They could throw a plane at me and I would be fine. Do they want to bring tanks? Sure! Why not?"</p><p>Her silly joke seemed to have the desired effect because Lena also relaxed. She rolled her eyes and grinned. "Please, don't go near war tanks. It's for my own sake."</p><p>"Scout's honor," Kara declared proudly while raising three fingers of her left hand, holding them very apart from each other.</p><p>Lena rolled her eyes again, so fondly this time that the blonde realized she could stand there and do that all day just to get that look from her. The woman pushed her hand back down with a scoff. "It only works if you were a Scout and that's totally not their salute."</p><p>"Oh," Kara breathed in fake surprise. "Well, that explains why that girl I bought the cookies from got so offended."</p><p>"You're a dork, get out of here."</p><p>She should, and for real if she didn't want to risk having half of the city blow into the air. "Right, see you later."</p><p>Kara managed to walk a step out of the door, although half of her body was still inside, but before she could leave a hand shot out to grab her forearm. She spun on her toes again only to come face to face with Lena, who was definitely closer than she was a second before.</p><p>"Take care," the shorter woman plead softly.</p><p>And then the Earth stopped moving.</p><p>Lena got on her tiptoes - and for a brief second Kara wished she could see her doing that from another angle just to admire how cute that was - and her other hand, the one that wasn't grasping at Kara's arm, raised to cup her cheek. Kara was already not breathing by that point and she almost spontaneously combusted when Lena started to lean forward. Like, towards her. To her direction. Not away. <em>To</em> her.</p><p>Was that the time she would die?</p><p>Well, she would die happy, for sure.</p><p>Her heart was pumping into her chest like a hammer, threatening to make a hole and beat it's way out, and Kara could hear it pounding in her ears. Suddenly that was all she could hear. Her breath got stuck on the back of her throat with a small gasp, her arms felt like concrete by her side and her toes were curled inside her shoes. Lena was so close she could feel the heat of her body and she wanted her even closer.</p><p>It was like the woman heard her prayers because she finally closed the distance between them to press a kiss right into the left corner of Kara's mouth. It wasn't a kiss on her lips, not totally at least, but it was too close to be considered chaste too. And it definitely lasted a second too long. When Lena pulled away, Kara almost followed her. She almost chased those plump, and now she knew, soft lips to do something she had been only dreaming about for months.</p><p>But there was still a bank being robbed, sirens all around town, armed crazy dudes, possible bombs, and not enough time.</p><p>So, instead, Kara gulped, so loud that Lena probably heard it, and opened her eyes - and when did she even close them? The brunette was looking up at her with clouded eyes and Kara had no doubts left in her mind about what was going on between them. She smiled, her cheek moving under Lena's thumb, before she turned her head to kiss the woman's palm.</p><p>"I promise," she whispered.</p><p>Then she had to sneak out of Lena's soft - oh, so soft - hands and go save another day.</p><p>Easier said than done, as she proved on her way to her apartment.</p><p>No one would – could! – ever know about it, but she crushed a tree because she was too distracted. She was walking and she just walked straight into it like it was a stick. If anyone asked, it was Lena’s fault. It was because she kissed her! Lena kissed her!</p><p>Was it on the lips? No. Kara wanted it to be? Yes! No secret there, she was done trying to hide it, anyway.</p><p>But, blessed Rao, Kara wanted more.</p><p>When did she get into her apartment? Doesn’t matter.</p><p>Lena wanted to take her out for dinner, and she wanted to go, without a doubt, and now she kissed her. Was it a real kiss? No. Who cares? It was a kiss. A few centimeters from Kara’s lips touched a few centimeters from Lena’s lips, so it was a kiss.</p><p>Damn, she liked those pants and now they’re ripped. Fine, no time to grieve, just put on the suit.</p><p>So, all the other times, Kara wasn’t sure they were flirting... but they were flirting, right? Oh, Rao, if Kara knew Lena was open to her flirting she would have come up with better things to say! She should have said something about her eyes. They were the most beautiful eyes ever. It was surprising Kara never brought them up before. And how could she not realize it before? Lena literally said she wanted Kara to kiss her the day before!</p><p>How many police officers worked on a Sunday? And when did Kara even get to the bank? Alex was talking with some men, making gestures, and coordinating the entire operation, so Kara decided it was safe to take a look at the area first. Bombs, she needed to find them. Were there bombs? She couldn’t remember.</p><p>Rao, their walk from the day before! Was that a date? Did they go on a date and Kara didn’t even realize it? No, Lena would have said something. Would she, though? Because Kara, for sure, didn’t. Well, she didn’t think there was the possibility of them going out on a date together before Lena asked her for dinner today, so... Oh, what if Friday wasn’t a date?</p><p>No bombs. Good. Now, the robbers. Did someone say ten guys? Easy peasy.</p><p>Kara already discussed that with herself. It was a date. Lena said it like it was a date, so it had to be a date. And just now she kissed her!</p><p>Ten bad guys locked away, bank clear, no bombs, money returned, Alex safe and in charge. All done.</p><p>Rao, Lena kissed her.</p><p>Lena kissed her.</p><p>Kara needed to kiss her.</p><p>The sun was still high in the sky when Kara left the penthouse to go act all heroic, but night had fallen on National City when the blonde put the last robber in a police car. Kara didn’t even see the time passing. Her mind was too stuck on the moment Lena’s lips touched her skin to notice how long it has been – or to even notice anything she was doing.</p><p>When she landed on the balcony, she did it with a purpose in mind. And nothing would make her divert from her goal.</p><p>The balcony door was unlocked, all she had to do was slide it open, which she did as easy as breathing. Kara didn’t bother closing it behind her, neither did she bother removing her boots, although they were probably dirty from her latest mission. She had one thing in mind, and one thing only, so she kept walking with intent, in a straight line to the hallway. She had just got up on the small step there when the door to the baby room opened quietly.</p><p>It made Kara stop immediately like she had hit an immovable object, her cape tangling around her ankles. Lena exited the room already searching for her with green eyes and she was reminded one more time about the sensors around the building. Lena knew she got there and came out to greet her.</p><p>“He just fell asleep,” the brunette whispered and hugged her arms around her own waist. She had moved from her perfect green dress and slipped on a... was that a Star Wars sweatshirt? The cutest human alive, undoubtedly. Her hair was loose now, falling in waves, framing her face. It only added more fuel to Kara’s purpose. “I’m sorry you missed it.”</p><p>“That’s okay.”</p><p>And it was. What wasn’t okay was her voice. It was low, husky, and slightly shaky, making it obvious that something was going on. Lena frowned, taking a few steps closer like she was about to start examinating the taller woman. “Kara?”</p><p>Kara needed to kiss her.</p><p>So she did.</p><p>She walked forward, pressed both hands on Lena’s hips, and pulled her closer until they were flushed together. Lena yelped in surprise because Kara used her superspeed without noticing it, so the blonde decided to give her a way out. She needed to kiss Lena, but only if Lena needed to kiss her just as much.</p><p>“I really want to kiss you now,” she whispered as the tip of her nose touched Lena’s. They had never been this close. It was a light thing, Kara noticed about Lena’s eyes. She had a larger freckle hidden in her left eyebrow where no one could see. She smelled like old books, strawberry shampoo, and baby wet wipes.</p><p>And she felt like home.</p><p>Lena gasped against her but her eyes flicked to her lips, then back to her eyes. The woman’s hands raised to wrap on the back of her neck to hold her in place and Kara understood the message.</p><p>Lena wanted to kiss her as well.</p><p>With a large intake of breath, Kara pushed the shorter woman back until she hit a wall, then she used one hand to cup her face and leaned in for the kiss. Lena’s lips felt softer than they looked and it drew a visceral reaction from her. For a second, all breath was taken from Kara’s lungs, it burned and pulsed, and suddenly she was assaulted by Lena’s scent. Her mind was entirely assaulted by Lena, to be honest.</p><p>Lena. Lena. Lena. Lena.</p><p>Lena’s lips. And Lena’s hands. And Lena’s body. And Lena’s smell. And everything Lena.</p><p>It was as though someone had just reconnected her nervous system back in place, every single cell of her body jolting back to life like it had been dormant for years, decades even. Lena felt like a puff of fresh air, like the first breath you take after going underwater for too long, like the first bite in a large stack of pancakes that were still warm, like lying down under the sunlight, like watching the stars at night and seeing the sun waking at morning, like laughing at a good joke, like smiling because of a good memory, like kicking your shoes off after getting home.</p><p>Everything, absolutely everything, started and ended with Lena at that moment. The Universe, Earth, life, Kara herself. If she was going to be poetic - and she would, later, while writing in her diary - at that moment Lena became the Sun and Kara gladly fell in the place of one of the planets orbiting around her, chasing her warmth, entranced by her existence.</p><p>Why did she take so long to do it? If she knew it would be such a life-changing thing, she would have done it way back.</p><p>And the best was yet to come because Lena parted her lips in a gasp and their lips fell in sync like long lost parts of the same musical score. Kara let her hand travel on Lena’s hip to her lower back, the tip of her fingers touching the woman’s skin where her sweatshirt had raised a bit, and her other hand moved out of instinct to the nape of her neck, thumb positioned just under her jaw, to pull the shorter woman closer. And closer. And closer.</p><p>At the same time, Lena’s left hand fell from her neck and passed under her arm so she could grasp at her shoulder and tug her closer at the same time. Her other hand had tangled around blonde locks like that was the only thing keeping her from flying away onto space. They couldn’t be closer, but they certainly wanted to.</p><p>Gasps, sighs, and panting filled the hallway when their tongues met, all wet and warm, and Kara felt like someone had just jolted her with electricity. Every end of her body tingled. Her toes, the tip of her fingers, even her hair. Her ribs seemed too small to contain her pounding heart and her desperate-for-air lungs.</p><p>If someone granted her a wish, anyone and anything, she would wish to relive that moment over and over again for the rest of her life.</p><p>She would have a thousand million first kisses with Lena. But, Kara rationalized with herself, she would have to settle with a thousand million different kisses with Lena. That didn’t sound bad, she realized, not even a little bit.</p><p>(And, if that was the last first kiss Kara was ever going to have, it was a goddamn good one.)</p><p>She felt a second too late that Lena’s fingers were moving against her shoulder, tapping around until she found the clip that held her cape and let it loose. The right side of her red cape fell in what was probably an ungracious way and she looked quite ridiculous with only half of her cape on, but Lena seemed to be on a mission – a mission that Kara’s brain still hadn’t caught up on with. She untangled her fingers from the blonde’s hair and they easily found the clip on the other shoulder to let the cape fall unceremoniously on the floor by their feet.</p><p>The cape was heavier than it seemed and the thud it made was louder than expected, but Kara wasn’t even paying attention to it when she pressed even firmer against Lena, pushing her body back against the wall but pulling her face closer to hers. The brunette’s hand was back on her hair, tugging gently, and Kara vowed, then and there, that she had never felt better in her entire life.</p><p>It felt like a lifetime but it was probably just a couple of minutes before Kara started to pull away. Not because she was done kissing Lena – she would never be done with that – but because the woman’s breathing had become more erratic and her heart, the same heart she had been keeping track of for months now, was frantically beating and skipping beats, and Kara just knew she needed to let the woman breathe. She was Kryptonian and, according to her own tests, she could go over fifteen minutes holding her breath. Lena, on the other hand, was very much human and she needed to keep that in mind.</p><p>She ended their passionate kiss with three softer pecks on the shorter woman’s swollen lips before she rested their foreheads together to allow both of them a moment to recover. Lena was breathing fast, unsteady and uneven, loud in the quiet, dark hallway. Unlike Kara, who never felt calmer. After so many waves of emotions, her body seemed to have settled down. Her heart was pounding, yes, but not painfully, neither did it make her uncomfortable. Her breathing was normal, even and calm. Her hands never felt firmer against Lena’s body.</p><p>Finally, she leaned in for another kiss. It wasn’t half as desperate. It was sweet, loving and so tender that Kara felt tears burning at the back of her eyes. It also didn’t last as long because Lena was still panting and Kara now felt like she was about to cry. When she pulled away this time around, the blonde raised her head so she could press a kiss on Lena’s forehead before she wrapped her arms securely around her.</p><p>One arm around her waist and the other one around her shoulders, Kara kept the shorter woman close, pressed tightly against her body, as she hid her face in raven hair and took a deep breath. Fancy strawberry shampoo and <em>Lena </em>invaded her senses, and she couldn’t help but breathe again. The brunette had slid her other arm under Kara’s too, like the other one, and she was now grasping at both of her shoulders to hug the hero as well, as hard as she could, for as long as she was allowed.</p><p>If Earth could just stop moving, that would be great, Kara thought with a sigh.</p><p>“It feels good to stop pretending I don’t want to do that,” she whispered against the younger woman’s hair.</p><p>Lena chuckled and she could feel it against her neck from where the woman was hiding her face on. She didn’t reply but she didn’t have to either. She was holding Kara as hard as she was holding Lena and that was enough. It was more than enough and she would gladly stay like that forever, not saying anything and just enjoying each other’s presence.</p><p>That was it, until she moved her feet and felt something tangling around it. Kara glanced down the best she could in her position, cracking one eye open, and then chuckled when she recognized what was it.</p><p>“Did you take my cape off?”</p><p>She felt Lena shrugging against her and a soft kiss being pressed on her neck, so she allowed her eye to shut again and rested her cheek against the top of the woman’s head. “It was getting on the way,” Lena commented.</p><p>“Tell me what you want now,” Kara asked gently.</p><p>Lena sighed, deeply and content, and her arms tightened around the hero. “Tea.”</p><p>Yes, Kara could agree with that.</p><p>They stayed like that a couple more minutes, then Kara slowly pulled her arms away so they could do more than just stand in the hallway forever. Lena looked up at her, her eyes wet and filled with emotions, and her lips curled up, one hand sliding down her shoulder blade, through her ribs and up her sternum where her heart was rhythmically beating.</p><p>Kara was in love, she realized then. She had her suspicions before, obviously, but that was the moment she decided that yes, she was in love with Lena Luthor and she was damn happy she was.</p><p>Since she couldn’t say that, not yet at least, Kara decided to fill the silence with something else. “You know, I read something really interesting at the museum today.”</p><p>Rao, the museum trip seemed to have happened a lifetime ago, but it was only a few hours. Kara wondered if Sam and Ruby made it back to Metropolis already and if Lena’s friend would be hearing about that kiss sometime soon. Probably. Alex surely would.</p><p>“Really?” Lena wondered. She wasn’t sure if it was just to entertain her or not, but she appreciated the amount of interest the woman showed her.</p><p>Kara nodded, all too serious. “It said that the dinosaurs' favorite drink was Tea Rex.”</p><p>Lena’s eyes closed, her brows furrowed and her mouth remained slightly open. She was the embodiment of someone who had just heard a bad joke, however, she had to duck her head to hide a grin.</p><p>Kara was definitely in love.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Lena: *is blinking like crazy*<br/>Alex: Does she have something in her eyes?<br/>Ruby: Aunty Lee, was it a fly?<br/>Kara: Lena, do you need to go to the doctor?!<br/>Sam: She's morse coding for you, you idiot.<br/>Kara: Oh... I don't know morse code.<br/>Lena: *starts crying while blinking 'kiss me, idiot'*</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Those are my fries</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So... I took that the kiss was a success? hahaha</p><p>Since you guys already have one, I don't need to write another one, right? One is enough? Okay!</p><p>Great helper, you're, once again, a great help &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Kiera, what’s got you smiling so much today? Do you think I'm a dentist? Did I somehow start to take interest in your teeth? Do I need to increase your workload?"</p><p>Every single one of Cat Grant's jabs and rude comments were promptly ignored while Kara kept writing on her notepad, following the woman more out of instinct than anything else, looking down at her pen with, what she assumed from what her boss was saying, a smile. Nothing would break her good mood. Not Cat Grant being Cat Grant, not James asking her what was going on, not William chasing her around, not the fact that she was about to lose her job, not her sister teasing her senseless.</p><p>Nothing would take her from the high that was kissing Lena Luthor.</p><p>They were trying, they certainly were, but Kara's smile seemed to be permanent, her good mood was lasting, and her happiness was... real. When was the last time she felt truly happy?</p><p>Last night, while kissing Lena. Last night, when they kept glancing shyly at each other across the kitchen counter while drinking tea. Last night, when Lena kissed her good night. This morning, when she texted Lena with a cheerful good morning and received a kissing emoji back. Right now, as Lena just asked if she wanted to join them for lunch.</p><p>"Kiera!"</p><p>"Rao!"</p><p>Almost dropping her phone, Kara looked up to see Cat giving her what had to be a death glare. If the woman had heat vision, she would be dead, for sure. Kara sadly glanced down at the unanswered text and bit her bottom lip.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Kiera. Do you need to get that?"</p><p>Cat's overly sweet tone didn't fool her even for a second, yet she took another look at Lena's name flashing on her screen. She was getting fired anyway, wasn't she?</p><p>"Kiera, if you ever want to find another job to get you fed in your miserable life, I suggest you put your phone down."</p><p>"I'm sorry, Ms. Grant," Kara said and shyly put her phone back inside her pants pocket - not without regretting not answering fast enough.</p><p>"I swear, from all the incompetency I ever saw you perform, this morning has been the perfect representation of a prize nomination performance." Ms. Grant had her arms crossed, Kara realized now that she looked back at her boss, which meant she was utterly pissed. Not unusual but still enervating. "Who or what are you going to thank when you receive your prize?"</p><p>"Uh..." Was that rhetorical? It sounded way too sarcastic to be a serious question. But Kara wasn't sure and she got suddenly nervous. And a nervous Kara tended to ramble, so that's what she did. "Nothing! I mean, nothing happened! I guess something happened but nothing important. It was important but it shouldn't be interfering in my job, I apologize, Ms. Grant. It won't happen again, I swear!"</p><p>"Ah, Jimmy! Can you do me a favor and take this poor talk show host away from me? Some of us need to get our job done. And, Kiera, I want that done within the hour."</p><p>While James was walking her away, gently leading her with a hand on her shoulder, Kara frowned. "What does she want to be done?"</p><p>Her friend chuckled, the sound deep and manly, and totally different from the ones that became Kara's happiness nowadays. "It's a mistake not to pay attention to Cat Grant, Kara. I thought you knew that by now." They finally reached her desk and she sat down on autopilot while James leaned against it. "Lunch after you figure out what she wants?"</p><p>"I already have plans," Kara replied distractedly. She picked up her notepad to see if any of her notes could help her figure out what impossible task Cat had asked from her this time but she quickly closed it when she saw she drew Lena's name with a little heart beside it and nothing else. She was <em>ridiculous</em>.</p><p>Her friend shrugged. "Okay. See you later then." James was already halfway into his own office when he turned around with a smile. "Oh, Kara, check your email."</p><p>She did and James, being a life savior, sent her the number of the guy who could get what Cat wanted. She vowed to buy him a bar of chocolate on her way back as a thank you.</p><p>Speaking of 'way back'...</p><p>Kara picked up her phone again to type out an answer for Lena, not even bothering to hide the fact that she was smiling as though she had won the lottery - which totally felt like it too. She remembered Lena comment from a few days prior when she said she missed the times where she could indulge herself with greasy food after a long week of work - before getting pregnant, before breastfeeding - so an idea popped in Kara's head</p><p>
  <em>"I will bring the food"</em>
</p><p>She replied before putting her phone down. First, she needed to give Ms. Grant what she wanted or no lunch break for her, which was the biggest motivator she ever had. This time though, she didn't curse Cat all the way through. She just hummed under her breath to some songs on the radio, smiled to herself, and typed away without a care in the world.</p><p>Life was good. Life was really good.</p><p>Life was especially good after Kara made a quick stop at Noonan's to buy a vegan burger and her normal order of burger, extra fries, and a large milkshake, and walked back at Lena's apartment - maybe with a jump in her step, maybe not.</p><p>And life was never better than when the door opened and she saw Lena.</p><p>Rao, she was beautiful. Even tired, with no make-up and baggy clothes, she was easily the most beautiful woman Kara ever laid her eyes on.</p><p>It has been less than twelve hours since she last saw her but, Rao, she could still remember it almost painfully. It was maybe burned into her memory now, something to never forget the way Lena's lips felt against hers, the way her hands cupped her face and scratched the back of her neck, how their foreheads rested together and the peace that she felt deep inside her chest. It was so clear in her head that Kara almost took a step forward to reach out and take the woman into her arms again.</p><p>There were things in the way this time though. Kara had her hands full of food bags and Lena was holding little Liam in her arms like he was precious cargo. So, instead of falling to her desires, Kara smiled brightly and raised her hands.</p><p>"I have food!"</p><p>The other woman chuckled at her before she took her hand off of the door to rest on her son's round belly. The boy, who had started clapping excitedly when he recognized Kara, looked between them with a toothless grin. "Look who's here, my dear. It's Kara. Should we let her in?"</p><p>Apparently, yes. Liam was doing his best to reach out for Kara, almost throwing himself out from Lena's arms. His mother had to make some effort to keep him in place while taking a step back so Kara could get inside, which the blonde did with a smile of her own. The blonde quickly put the bags on the kitchen counter and turned around to take the boy into her arms. She used her forearms to hold him supporting his back, both hands holding his head.</p><p>"Hi, prince," she greeted him happily while covering his chubby face with kisses. "Did you miss me already? I missed you very much!"</p><p>Liam kept giggling loudly while she attacked him with her love and his mother watched, leaned against the kitchen doorframe, crossed legs and arms, and a soft smile. "I see how it is," the shorter woman commented. "With me, he's all don't touch me and don't talk to me, but with you..."</p><p>"Oh, no!" Kara gasped, stopped her kisses, and looked at Liam with wide eyes. It was comical how he imitated her perfectly, freezing almost in the same position. "Were you giving your mamma a hard time?"</p><p>"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today," Lena replied with a sigh before she pushed herself from the wall to approach them again. "But I guess you recovered his good mood."</p><p>"I'm magical," Kara shrugged as she moved the boy to one arm so she could hold him against her hip to free her other hand. "Anyway, I got you a vegan burger. Not the greasy thing you're craving, but you can pretend it is."</p><p>"You're my hero," Lena groaned before she tilted her head in a way that made her have to look up to meet Kara's gaze again. Then a smirk curled her lips up and the taller woman had to remind herself to keep breathing, keep moving, keep living.</p><p>Kara swallowed the lump that rose into her throat and looked down at the bag. "You can steal some of my fries," she offered.</p><p>"Just some?" Lena teased lightly and Kara was happy to see that she had turned around to grab plates because Kara wasn't sure how much longer she could go without touching the other woman.</p><p>Although, after last night, did she still have to watch herself? Was she authorized to touch Lena now? Kiss her? What were they after that kiss? Kisses, there was more than one! Rao, Kara had no idea how much things changed now.</p><p>Clearing her throat, the hero pulled out her milkshake so she could occupy her hand with something. In her other arm, Liam tried to reach out to grab the straw but she moved it away from him. Before he could start fussing, she gave him the ticket to rip apart and the boy seemed glad with the distraction. Crisis avoided, Kara went back to her own crisis.</p><p>"Well, they are <em>my </em>fries, so..."</p><p>When she turned around holding two plates, Lena had narrowed her eyes, but a playful smirk was adorning her plump lips - and, Rao's sake, they were so damn soft! "I will not be the crazy one who gets between Kara and her precious food."</p><p>Just then, after putting the plates down, the shorter woman pushed herself on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss on her cheek. The Earth stopped moving, then it returned full force ten times faster than before, shifting gravity on the way. Suddenly, Kara felt that the only thing keeping her glued to the floor were the people inside that apartment.</p><p>How dangerous was that?</p><p>“Well,” the blonde stuttered after Lena took a step back and allowed her space to make her brain cells work again. “Since they’re my fries, I can do what I please.” Kara used the bottom of her milkshake to push the fries towards Lena before she stuffed the straw inside her mouth to stop herself from saying something stupid.</p><p>Lena picked one up before pushing it inside her mouth with a wicked grin. “Guess I can let you have some of <em>my </em>fries.”</p><p>The hero gasped, almost forgetting that she had her mouth filled with half-melted ice cream. “You traitor!”</p><p>“I’m a Luthor, darling,” the shorter woman reminded her with a shrug. “You shouldn’t trust me.”</p><p>Kara huffed before she bounced Liam in her arm and stared back at the boy. “Did you hear that, Liam? I hope you stay on my side. I promise to let you eat ice cream every night.”</p><p>“Absolutely not!”</p><p>“And cookies before dinner.” Kara ignored Lena’s wide eyes and open mouth while she grabbed her burger bag and started making the way to the couch balancing baby in one arm, milkshake, and burger on the other hand. She felt the other woman following her and tried to hold back her smile. “And chocolate syrup for breakfast.”</p><p>“Kara Zor-El, you better stop those ridiculous promises to my kid!”</p><p>The blonde turned around once she reached the living room and they almost collided against each other’s body. Suddenly, Lena was too close. Her smell, which was already strong since Kara first walked inside the apartment, got even stronger, and invaded her senses in a way that made her body melt. She shifted under her feet but didn’t dare to move away.</p><p>“No one calls me like that.”</p><p>“Huh?” Lena frowned and Kara realized she had both hands on her hips.</p><p>“Everyone calls me Danvers, no one calls me by my real name,” she explained softly with a lop-sided grin.</p><p>The shorter woman flushed under her stare and averted her eyes like looking up at her became too much. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”</p><p>“You didn’t,” Kara promised. “That’s my name. I’m just not used to hearing it too often. I like the way you say it, though.”</p><p>“The way I say it?”</p><p>“With an accent.” She was smiling brighter now, bigger, more honest. The boy in her arms had gone quiet like he understood he had to give the adults some time, the burgers were going cold, the fries certainly already were, the milkshake would be too melted to drink very soon, and all Kara could think was how Lena’s eyes made her chest swell.</p><p>“An accent?” Lena arched one eyebrow and she looked genuinely offended.</p><p>“You’re from Ireland, aren’t you?” She didn’t wait for a reply before shrugging. “You have an accent.”</p><p>Lena chewed the inside of her cheeks for a few seconds, her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. She never looked more stunning. “Take it back.”</p><p>Not fearing for her life, Kara laughed. “Or what?”</p><p>“No fries for you,” the woman threatened.</p><p>It was time for Kara to narrow her eyes. “You wouldn’t,” she whispered back.</p><p>“Take it back and you won’t have to find out.”</p><p>Kara looked at baby Liam then before she leaned over to place her burger and milkshake on the coffee table. Then she bent down to place the baby on the playmat carefully before she straightened her body quite dramatically. Clearly not what Lena was waiting for her to do but her next move was to cross her arms.</p><p>“You shouldn’t threaten the food of a Kryptonian.”</p><p>“But you gave them to me,” Lena shrugged.</p><p>“Is this an Irish thing?”</p><p>As soon as she spoke, Kara knew it was the right thing to get the reaction she wanted. Lena gasped in outrage. “How <em>dare</em> you?”</p><p>Between a guffaw and another, the hero ran to rescue the forgotten bag of french fries on the table, and the brunette barely was able to register what happened with how fast she moved. By the time she turned around, Kara had already stuffed her mouth with a handful of fries and was smiling at her in victory.</p><p>“Not fair with the super speed!”</p><p>“We play with the weapons we have,” Kara declared as a matter of fact.</p><p>And it took her only two seconds to realize it was the wrong thing to say.</p><p>She could almost see the lightbulb on top of Lena’s head going off. The woman smirked – that smirk that Kara adored – and started making her way towards the kitchen. It was like Kara fell into a trance while watching her approaching the counter, stuck under her gaze, completely at her mercy. Once she was at arm length, Lena ran a finger from Kara’s wrist to her shoulder and the blonde decided it should be written down as a crime.</p><p>“Kara?”</p><p>She gulped. “Yes?”</p><p>Lena was looking up at her from under her eyelashes and she was trying to put on a show of innocence that just wouldn’t fit if she was using that killer dress she wore at the museum or the revealing blouse from Saturday morning. Since she was wearing the Star Wars sweatshirt and her feet were bare, it worked just fine.</p><p>“Are you going to kiss me again?”</p><p>Oh, Rao.</p><p>Gaping like an idiot, Kara had no immediate reply to that. Did someone suddenly suck all air from Earth? It felt like it. Holy Rao. Holy. Rao.</p><p>“I, uh, I wasn’t sure...” She noticed how that could sound, so she quickly tried to fix it and, of course, fell into her rambling. “I wasn’t sure I could. I mean, I wanted to, but I wasn’t sure I should. And then we started talking about other things and I just didn’t know. But then you kissed my cheek, so maybe I can? I have no idea. I just got here and I thought about doing it, but...”</p><p>“Kara,” Lena gently interrupted her and all teasing was gone from her face. She took the fries from her grasp, although she had to battle a little to make Kara release them – not because Kara still thought they were in that silly fake fight over the fries but because she was sure her hands would start to shake as soon as they got unoccupied. Once the way between them was freed, Lena smiled up at her and tugged a stray of raven hair behind her ear. “I would like it very much if you kissed me again.”</p><p>“You would?” Kara dumbly asked and everyone in a mile radius could probably hear the surprise on her voice.</p><p>Lena, as expected, chuckled. Her head ducked for a second and when she looked up again her eyes were as bright as the sun in the Summer, although they assembled the forests of Krypton more. “Very much so.”</p><p>So, Kara complied. How could she not? When a pretty lady was asking you to kiss her – a pretty lady that you were already pretty much in love with – you did just that. It was sweet, innocent even, and ended much faster than the ones they shared the night before. But it sealed something that Kara didn’t even know they needed to circle back to, albeit it made sense there were a lot of things they still needed to talk about. Once she pulled away - hummingbird in her chest, butterflies in her stomach, and a boomerang in her mouth – Kara felt like she was floating.</p><p>“Kara, darling?”</p><p>“Yeah?” Rao, her voice sounded so dreamy. Maybe she was dreaming. It felt like she was dreaming? Would it be weird if she pinched herself and she was actually awake?</p><p>“You’re flying.”</p><p>Oh.</p><p>Kara snapped her eyes open and looked down at her feet that were, as a matter of fact, hanging two inches from the floor. Her chest heated with a blush that rose to her neck and colored her cheeks but she dared to stare back at Lena. The other woman had a fond smile though, something behind her green eyes that made Kara feel wanted and secure, and she placed a soft hand on the hero’s right shoulder to gently push her down. She wouldn’t be able to if Kara didn’t let her but, in all fairness, Kara couldn’t think about anything she wouldn’t allow Lena to do to her in that moment.</p><p>“Come on, we have to eat or you will go back to work with an empty stomach.” Lena took a step back and, out of instinct, Kara took a step forward as though she was chasing her. The brunette quirked one eyebrow and grinned but didn’t point out her slip. Instead, she turned around, grabbed Kara’s hand, and started to pull her towards the couch again.</p><p>In the last second, just before they got out of reach, Kara grabbed the fries to bring with them.</p><p>When they were parting ways, after Kara ate in a rush because she had less than twenty minutes to go back to work or suffer Cat’s punishments, Lena kissed her again. It was almost chaste, just a peck, before she smoothed Kara’s shirt with one hand since the other one was holding Liam against her hip.</p><p>“Thank you for lunch. Will you be back tonight?”</p><p>“Wouldn’t miss it even if Ms. Grant tries to murder me.”</p><p>She didn’t try. In fact, Cat barely gave her a second glance when she rushed back inside, literally ran to her desk, a minute before her lunch break was over. It was weird that Cat had nothing to say about it but Kara wrote it off as the effects of selling her company away. According to gossip going around the office like fire in a wood store, she had a meeting with someone interest in buying CatCo on Friday and Kara started thinking it was time for her to send out her resume. So, maybe Cat was sadder than she let people see, and not even screaming at her employees would light her mood.</p><p>Either way, Kara did her best to stay out of the woman’s way the rest of the day, doing her best to fulfill her tasks, answer every call and email, and just keep things rolling smoothly. When the day was almost over, James perked up on the edge of her desk and gave her a smile that she once thought was charming.</p><p>“I heard from Alex that you won’t be attending Games Night this Friday.”</p><p>Kara rolled her eyes so hard that it almost looked like they would roll out of her skull. “Rao, Alex could leave me alone already.”</p><p>At that, her friend laughed, a deep sound coming from his chest. Some of their co-workers turned to look at them but soon lost interest. “Kara, you haven’t attended Games Night for months now. I guess we all knew something was up.”</p><p>“Games Night isn’t the same with only three people,” Kara complained.</p><p>“Tell me about it. We had to ask J’onn to join us since you started to ditch on us.”</p><p>“I wasn’t ditching on you.”</p><p>“You totally were but that’s fine.”</p><p>Kara sighed then. “I miss Games Night, to be honest.”</p><p>And she did. They used to have so much fun, especially when they had the apartment filled with their friends. Once, a while ago, they would have Maggie, Mon-El and Winn joining them before they all went their separate ways – Maggie, after Alex and her broke up; Mon-El when he returned to his planet; and Winn when he went to the future. After that, there was only Alex, Kara and James. Sometimes Lucy would join them, sometimes J’onn.</p><p>But since she started spending time at Lena’s apartment, she hadn't attended Games Night. Maybe it was a little negligent on her part, especially towards her friends, but Games Night wasn’t the same for a while, way before Kara started to ditch it. And, yes, she could admit she was ditching it.</p><p>“Alex said you met someone,” James prompted gently and he kept talking before Kara could complain about her sister’s habit of gossiping about her – especially to someone she went on a date with, even if that happened more than two years before. “You could bring this person along.”</p><p>“Oh.” Kara had not thought about that possibility before. “Yes, I will, uh, I will see. We have plans on Friday though.”</p><p>James shrugged. “We can move it to Saturday. Just let me know.”</p><p>“I will.”</p><p>Seemingly, but not surprisingly, Kara wasn’t very good at hiding secrets. Everyone else threw her knowing looks on her way out, as though they just knew why she couldn’t stop smiling, like they just knew why Kara was leaving at a sharp time and in such a rush. It bothered her a little and she almost wished to ask them to go take care of their own lives. But she was in a good mood and no one was going to break it.</p><p>Kara went home to shower and change into her super suit, then she flew to her sister’s apartment so they could share dinner and talk about Games Night because her sister’s opinion was very important to her.</p><p>“Well, if you want to bring her, be my guest. But we’re not doing this at my place again. Last time I spent two weeks removing popcorn from my couch.”</p><p>“Do you know when Sam will be back in town?”</p><p>And then Kara saw something that startled her: Alex blushed. Her sister’s cheeks pinked and she tried to hide it with her beer. “Friday.”</p><p>Kara’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline and a smirk slowly curled her lips. “That soon, huh?”<strike></strike></p><p>“Shut up,” Alex rolled her eyes. “Lena has something work-related on Friday and asked her to be here as well.”</p><p>“So you’re going out on Friday?”</p><p>“Nope,” her sister shook her head and pursed her lips. “You have a date on Friday, remember? Sam offered to stay as a nanny.” Alex must have noticed her dopey smile because she rolled her eyes again. “What?”</p><p>“I have a date on Friday with Lena,” Kara repeated with a satisfied sigh.</p><p>“Fuck off.”</p><p>Kara did, right after promising her sister they would have lunch together soon, and then she went to Lena’s apartment for the second time that day. She slid through the balcony door and spotted Lena sitting on a kitchen chair with Liam sitting on a high chair in front of her. She wasn’t feeding him – he was only eating solid food for lunch those past two days – but he was attentively watching as his mother flashed him some cards.</p><p>They both looked up when Kara walked in and the twin smiles she gained were enough to brighten her entire life. She approached them with a smile of her own before she leaned down to kiss the top of Liam’s head, then Lena’s, always gentle.</p><p>“How are my favorite people tonight?”</p><p>“Very good,” Lena replied while Kara pulled a chair next to her to sit on. “I was just showing him a memory game before feeding time.”</p><p>“A memory game?” the blonde asked quite impressed. She looked over Lena’s shoulder and saw that there was, in fact, four cards on the baby’s high chair. They were made from a thickest plastic material and showed an apple in two of them and a banana in the other two. “He can play it already?”</p><p>Lena chuckled. “No, but he can finally understand that objects aren’t permanent, so I’m using it to explain it to him that things aren’t always there.”</p><p>“Oh,” Kara breathed. There was so much she didn’t know about babies, it was almost laughable. Yet, she did her best. So, she leaned over until her head was showing over Lena’s shoulder and glanced down at the baby boy, who looked up at her with wide eyes. Once she had his attention, she quickly moved away from his vision, hiding behind Lena. She peeked over the woman’s shoulder and saw that the baby was now so confused that his mouth was hanging open. Unable to help herself, Kara chuckled before moving to his line of sight again. “Peek-a-boo,” she chanted happily.</p><p>It worked because Liam giggled as though he had never seen a funnier thing – which, considering he only had four months of comparisons, it might be true. Lena also chuckled, more gently, before she nudged Kara away gently with her elbow. “You’re destroying my method, Supergirl.”</p><p>Kara gave her room to rise from her chair, watching her with soft, loving eyes as the younger woman moved around the kitchen to put water on the kettle and put some dishes away. When Lena turned around again, the hero was still staring at her and there must have been something on her face because the woman flushed under her gaze and squirmed in place when she leaned against the sink.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Kara shrugged. “Nothing. You just... look beautiful.”</p><p>“Please,” Lena scoffed. “I didn’t have time to shower today yet, I’m using pants that are too large and a shirt that is too old. And I don’t even want to look at my hair right now.”</p><p>The blonde didn’t back away though. She couldn’t because Lena was the most beautiful woman in the world and she deserved to be reminded of that fact. Instead, Kara smiled – it was soft and all too honest, but she couldn’t help it. “You <em>are </em>beautiful,” she corrected herself.</p><p>Lena blushed again, harder than before, and looked even cuter. She clearly had no idea how to respond to that, and Kara had no idea what else she could say now that she made things weird, but they were saved from it when Liam started whining on his chair.</p><p>“Guess he’s hungry,” Lena commented. “Do you want to slip into something more comfortable while I feed him? I can give you some clothes to wear.”</p><p>That’s how Kara found herself using sweatpants that were too short for her and a t-shirt from a band she never heard of while rocking Liam up and down in her arms. Lena’s voice, steady and clear, was filling the room with another short story of the book she was reading for bedtime now.</p><p>“’But I like to be here, oh, I like it a lot!’” Lena read although Liam was long gone sleeping in Kara’s arms. “Said the Cat in the Hat to the fish in the pot. ‘I will not go away. I do not wish to go! And so,’ said the Cat in the Hat, ‘so, so, so, I will show you another good game that I know!’”</p><p>“I swear this is going to be the smartest kid on Earth,” Kara whispered after Lena gently closed the book. The blonde moved closer to the crib so she could put the boy down as his mother watched unmoved. “Already doing memory games and reading books, and he’s not even out of his diapers yet.”</p><p>“Lex used to read me all his Science works when I was six,” Lena commented. “I had no idea what he was talking about but I loved it.”</p><p>“Well,” the blonde sighed. “I’m sure Liam will love it when he understands what’s going on. I think he already does. Maybe when he gets older, you can read together.”</p><p>Not the reaction Kara was expecting, but the other woman suddenly chuckled lowly from the back of her throat. When she glanced up, after making sure Liam was covered and still asleep, Lena had a lazy smile on her lips that tugged at her heart like a string.</p><p>“What?” It was her time to wonder.</p><p>“Nothing,” and Lena offered her the same answer before shrugging. “I just pictured you bouncing a ten year old boy in your arms every night.”</p><p>Kara could see the humor in that so she also chuckled. “Good thing I don’t have to work out for that.”</p><p>Lena’s smile turned sad out of sudden and the next words that fell from her mouth sent a chill down Kara’s spine that she absolutely wasn’t ready to feel. “I think we need to talk.”</p><p>The hero had to swallow the lump that rose into her throat and the pressure she felt in her chest was almost unbearable, but she managed to offer the younger woman a short nod and a tight smile. “Of course.”</p><p>Much to her relief, Lena beamed a smile at her raising from the armchair. She picked up the baby monitor before heading for the hallway, so Kara eagerly followed her, albeit a bit apprehensively. The brunette walked straight to the kitchen where she started pouring hot water in two mugs. She didn’t bother asking what tea Kara would want since she always answered she would have whatever Lena was drinking, but she handed her the mug and the sugar bowl before walking around the counter to go sit in the living room.</p><p>The blonde watched her go with a heavy weight in the pit of her stomach. She had no idea what could have gone wrong during the time Kara took to change and respectfully avoid Liam’s room while Lena breastfed him, but something was clearly on the woman’s head now. To gain some time to collect her courage, Kara didn’t rush while pouring five sugar spoons on her tea. She even put the bowl back and filled the kettle with more water, even though they wouldn’t need more of it that night.</p><p>When she finally walked to join Lena, the woman was watching her so intently that Kara found it hard not to fiddle under her gaze. She wished she had her glasses to occupy her hands with, but her mug would have to do.</p><p>“So, uh,” Kara started. Her voice was shaking a little bit, as were her hands, so she tried again. “What did you want to talk about?”</p><p>“I don’t want to jump to conclusions here, Kara, but...” Lena sighed and she too appeared to be nervous. Her hands were holding her mug very close to her stomach, her eyes didn’t hold the same certainty they always seemed to have, and she was biting her bottom lip. “I need you to understand that I can’t think only about me. I have a son. He’s only a baby but... but he’s able to remember things that were there before and aren’t there now.”</p><p>Kara was reminded of little Liam staring at the apples and the bananas, and her face just an hour ago, and she understood where this might be going. She hoped, truly hoped, that Lena hadn’t made up her mind and that she would have something to say about it.</p><p>“I know we’re just starting this,” Lena unwrapped one hand from her mug to wave it between them as though she was showing something and Kara could understand the lack of words the woman seemed to have to refer to them. She also had no idea how to describe it. “And I don’t want you to feel any obligations, or any pressure, or anything like that, but you also have to understand that I have a son, and I can’t bet his happiness on this without knowing what I should expect. I don’t want Liam to grow and get attached to you if... if you’re not staying around.”</p><p>Yes, that was exactly what Kara thought she was going to say, although Lena said nothing else so she assumed it wasn’t as bad as she initially thought. While Lena spoke, eloquent as ever, Kara was waiting for the other shoe to drop and to have the other woman sending her away before even giving them a chance, but she didn’t do that.</p><p>Chest filled with hope, certainty attached to every word and securing eye contact, Kara spoke. “I understand, Lena. I do. I mean, I don’t have a kid of my own, so I don’t know what you’re feeling, but I can understand. He comes first, always.” She leaned over, placing her elbows on her thighs because she just needed to get a little closer. “For me, too. I care about you and about him. You’re two potatoes from the same sack, you know?”</p><p>That helped to ease the tension a little, at least. The brunette gave a short chuckle and looked down at the dark liquid inside her mug for a few seconds. “I guess it doesn’t matter that it’s too soon, does it? We already started way ahead from everyone else.”</p><p>“I think,” Kara started, re-think, then decided to say it anyway. She licked her lips and clasped one of Lena’s hands in hers to drag her eyes back at her. “I think that everyone has a different time. If you allow me to be honest with you, Lena, I can give you a very blunt answer about me being around for the long run or not.”</p><p>“Please,” the woman whispered and she never sounded so young, never looked so small. Yet, her eyes were wide with hope and her fingers squeezed Kara’s hand like she was the one with the powers.</p><p>That gave her enough courage to speak, and speak all truth without filters. Too soon or not, not the right time or not, whatever. They needed to have that conversation so they could move on to live better things and Kara wouldn’t hold back and risk delaying it.</p><p>“I could never leave,” Kara started, looking deep inside emerald green orbs. “Even if you asked me to. You would just have to learn how to live with me around because there's nothing that will be able to make me walk away from you. From either of you. Even if you asked me to leave, even if you sent me away, I could never go.” She had to bite down her tears when Lena’s eyes started to turn red and wet with tears. “I adore you. All of you. Both of you. I could never stay away, I could never let you go. If you want it, if you want me, I am all in. All in. Head first, hands tied, eyes blindfolded. <em>All in</em>.”</p><p>It was a hell of a bold move to put all cards on the table – although, admittedly, Kara knew nothing about card games – but she didn’t regret it even for a second. As soon as she was done talking, Lena launched herself forward and into her arms. Kara barely had time to move her mug away, and her brain didn’t even catch when the younger woman put hers down, but she managed to hold Lena in a tight hug. She hid her face in the crook of her neck, smelling the old books, the strawberry shampoo, the baby wet wipes, the body lotion, and something so remarkably Lena.</p><p>She wrapped her arms around Lena’s torso, securing her by her ribs, while Lena found the perfect place around her neck where her arms just fit. They stayed like that for far longer than any human would be comfortable in any position but Lena didn’t complain. After a while, she just adjusted until she practically sitting on Kara’s lap, albeit a bit shyly. Kara didn’t mind though, not at all.</p><p>Kara had no idea how long it took until one of them spoke again but of course it was Lena. “I think that’s the longest thing you’ve ever said to me without stumbling over your words,” she mumbled against Kara’s skin and, although she could hear the tears in her voice, her tone was also filled with the teasing that the blonde had become so fond of.</p><p>Kara chuckled. “Not my fault you smile and I just forget how to think straight.”</p><p>“My bad, darling. It was never my intention to get in the way of your thinking.”</p><p>“Hm,” the hero took a deep breath against Lena’s neck again before pulling away gently so she could look at the woman’s face. “I like it.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“That’s the third time you called me darling.”</p><p>Lena blushed a beautiful shade of pink. “I didn’t realize I have been doing that.”</p><p>Kara smiled. “I don’t mind, I like the sound of that.”</p><p>The younger woman also smiled but, to Kara’s surprise, slipped out of her arms a second later. “I know what we just talked about is way more than we should be talking this early on and we’re far along the way, but... Can we take things slow? I just... As I said before, I just had a baby, and... I don’t want to rush things.”</p><p>“Of course,” Kara agreed eagerly, nodding her head and squeezing Lena’s hand. “We will take this at your pace. You set the rhythm. There’s no rush.” And, just because she felt like she needed to lighten the mood, she added, “And I heard something about a date on Friday.” The brunette chuckled quietly at that and Kara found herself smiling. “We can make that our first official date and go from there. We don’t even have to kiss until then.”</p><p>At that, the woman grimaced, her nose scrunching a little in a very cute way. “But I really enjoy kissing you.”</p><p>“Well, then forget that last part,” Kara prompted quickly because, well, she also enjoyed kissing Lena, very much so.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Alex: I was looking for a pen and found a sixteen pages long letter about Lena's lips... Care to explain?<br/>Kara: ... Weren't the sixteen pages already enough?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Enlightening Conversation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I see many of you have faith there will be no more kisses... I'm not that evil, come one hahaha</p><p>Helper, you own my writing heart now &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kara enjoyed sharing her lunches with Alex. Her sister knew the exact amount of food she needed to consume and she was used to Kara inhaling her food, so it worked perfectly. Sometimes, like that day, Kara would meet her at the DEO and they would lock themselves in Alex’s office, put their feet on top of her desk and eat from the takeout boxes while chatting away. On other days, they would meet in a restaurant between their jobs, or the agents would see Supergirl and Agent Danvers sharing a meal in the operation room.</p><p>Either way, it was always a good time to talk because it wasn’t late enough in the day yet that her sister was already pissed off by the world’s idiocy, neither it was so early that Alex hadn’t drunk enough coffee yet. Although the ambiance could have been better, that was the place Kara chose to start a conversation that was eating at her since the first time she kissed Lena – in all honesty, since the first time she saw her, but that wasn’t the point.</p><p>"Alex, I need your help with something."</p><p>The redhead raised her eyes from her food for a brief second to look at her from under her eyelashes before she sighed deeply. "Oh, boy. I already know I'm not going to like this. What is it?"</p><p>Kara frowned a little while using her chopsticks to push her chicken around. "Well... you're... gay."</p><p>"As a matter of fact, yes, I am,” her sister replied without making a single effort to hide her teasing. “Did that only occur to you now? Because I remember telling you this at least two years ago."</p><p>"No, I know that.” Kara rolled her eyes – because her sister could be the best person in the world as much as she could be the most infuriating woman around. “It's just... things on Earth are different, alright? Back on Krypton, we didn't have anything like those labels Earth seems so fond of. I still remember what happened in high school when Kyle came out."</p><p>"What do you mean?" Alex stuffed her mouth with an eggroll as she finally rose her head to look at the blonde woman sitting in front of her across the desk in her office. Their feet, dropped on top of the wooden surface, were almost touching.</p><p>"Gay, straight, we didn't see things like that.” The blonde shrugged and everyone could see she was trying to sound nonchalant about it. “We just... Okay, this is not romantic at all, but we put our names, family history and genetic code in a machine named Codex, and she would match us with someone who would be considered the most compatible taking all of that in consideration. After that, we just... exchanged a few words and, voilá, together for life."</p><p>"How is that not romantic? Come on," Alex clearly mocked, using her sticks to point at her sister’s direction.</p><p>Rolling her eyes, Kara snickered. "Alex, please."</p><p>"Sorry. Keep going."</p><p>"My point is that we didn't have discussions around sexuality because we didn't have to. The Codex would match us and that would be it. We would always accept what the Codex said. There were rare cases where a couple would start liking each other before and they would be lucky enough to be sorted together by the Codex, but that's not the point."</p><p>Bemused, Alex asked, "What's the point?"</p><p>Kara never had to wear a band-aid before in her life but she knew the expression, so she decided it would be just like ripping a band-aid off of a wound. It would be easier if she just... said it. "We didn't have sex."</p><p>Alex blinked. "What?"</p><p>"Yes,” Kara breathed.</p><p>It happened exactly as she visualized it would. Alex immediately started shaking her head, her expression hardening and her sisterly figure shut her out. "...No. no. No. Nope. Not a chance. We're not having this conversation. Not a fucking chance."</p><p>"Alex..." she whined, hoping it would work.</p><p>"No, no, no,” Alex kept shaking her head like crazy “Too much. Bye." Just as she spoke, she pushed more food inside her mouth like that would be enough reason for Kara to let the subject go.</p><p>And Kara could understand. She, also, didn’t enjoy talking about that particular subject. Especially not with her sister, who was almost as much of a prude as she was, but there weren’t many people she could talk to about it. Besides, her sister was... well, her sister.</p><p>"Alex, I'm serious. I need your help! I'm dating Lena now and I’ve never dated a human before."</p><p>The older woman huffed. "You dated Mon-El, I think you can figure it out."</p><p>Not a good memory to have. "Yeah, but... he's also an alien..."</p><p>Alex seemed even more confused by that. "... What does that even mean?"</p><p>She grimaced, already thinking about how she was supposed to explain it to her sister. "Well..."</p><p>Luckily, they were on the same page because Alex wished to hear about it just as much as Kara wanted to talk about it. "No! I don't want to know! No!"</p><p>"Al..."</p><p>Alex, just like the grown adult she was, whined just then. "Kara, I'm begging you not to tell me."</p><p>"Fine, but I still need your help.” The blonde pushed more of her food around before deciding she wouldn’t be able to eat until she got all of her worries off her chest. “Lena is human. I’ve never had sex with a human woman before. And you... well, you have, so..."</p><p>"I'm <em>so</em> not having this conversation with you,” Alex groaned, closed her eyes and threw her head back on the comfortable chair that once belonged to J’onn before she just rolled it out of his office and into hers.</p><p>"Please, Al,” Kara pouted. “Who else can I talk to?"</p><p>There was another pause before the agent sighed. "... I hate when you're right."</p><p>"I thought about calling Maggie, but..."</p><p>Alex opened her eyes again and stared at her with honest, dark eyes. "You could have. I wouldn't be mad or anything."</p><p>"Good to know,” Kara nodded, albeit she knew it was just a way for her sister to try to get her to talk with someone else about it. “You're still not going to duck away from this."</p><p>As expected, Alex wailed again, so loud this time that her sister started to think she was spending time with Liam in secret. "Kara, the last thing I want to do is have a sex talk with my little sister, thank you very much."</p><p>"I'm not happy about it either, but who else can I talk to?” The hero snorted.</p><p>Kara would have lived happily if they never had to touch that subject in her life but the truth was that she knew nothing about sex with a woman, or what was expected of her. She knew Lucy had sex with women in the past, but it felt weirder asking her than talking with her sister. And she did consider calling Maggie because, although her relationship with Alex didn’t work, she liked the woman but, as far as she knew, Maggie wasn’t even in the city anymore. So, Alex would have to suck it up and help her out just like she had to gain the courage to ask her about it.</p><p>“Can't we pretend we're just friends hanging out and talking about... girls?" Kara prompted, thinking that it might actually be helpful.</p><p>"God, don't ever say something like that again. That was so gross."</p><p>The blonde sighed and rolled her eyes. "Alex, please. We have a date on Friday and I have no idea what to do! What if she wants to... do stuff?" Friday was just two days away and that question was running through her mind non-stop for days now.</p><p>That seemed to sober Alex right up because all of her uncertainty vanished when her shoulders rolled back and she stared at Kara so serious that the hero had to blink to make sure it was still the same person. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Kara. I'm telling you this right now.” The redhead used her chopstick to draw a circle on her desk like she was physically showing her the point she was trying to make. “If she presses you or demands anything, you turn your back and leave. You don't owe her anything, let alone sex." While she spoke, Alex used the sticks to point at the door, then hit them back at the desk.</p><p>Kara bit her bottom lip and did her best to avoid the flush that she could feel raising on her chest. "But... what if I want to do something?"</p><p>That took Alex by surprise again – which shouldn’t because Kara was the one who brought the subject up, wasn’t she? "Oh... Do you?"</p><p>"I... guess?” She didn’t sound so sure about it, even to her ears, and Alex raised both eyebrows at her, so Kara decided to keep explaining. “I mean, I don't know what, but it felt really good when we kissed and I kind of... want to do more of that. And then... more. But I don't know how."</p><p>There was a long beat of silence, extended when Alex picked another piece of chicken, before her sister sighed so deeply that she almost congratulated her for her strong lungs. "... Okay, fine. We will have this conversation. I will indulge you for half an hour, no more than that, and then we will never, ever, talk about this again. Okay?"</p><p>"Okay,” Kara nodded eagerly.</p><p>"Good. What do you want to know?"</p><p>Kara’s shoulders dropped a little. "I don't know, Alex. I have never... I never even kissed a woman before, so I'm really behind here."</p><p>"But you know anatomy, right? And what goes... where."</p><p>Her sister looked and sounded so embarrassed that Kara couldn’t help herself. "Things go inside... places?"</p><p>Alex’s eyes went round as plates suddenly and she gasped. "Oh, God."</p><p>"I'm messing with you,” Kara admitted with a laugh. “Yes, I know! We have the same biology, you know? Eliza gave me the basics when I started high school with you. Well, I asked her why people smelled funny and she had to tell me."</p><p>The redhead huffed. "I forget about your nose sometimes."</p><p>"I don't, believe me. Anyway, she told me about boys and girls, and babies. But that's the thing, Alex. We made our babies in a machine back on Krypton. We literally didn't... do that." There were stories, albeit never proven, of couples on Krypton who would engage in sexual activities over the years. The only couple that was ever confirmed to have done...that...was Kal’s parents and only because, well, Kal was the proof. Sex on Krypton was a bigger taboo than it was on Earth and that really meant something. By conceiving a child naturally, Kal’s parents committed the biggest crime according to Krypton’s laws.</p><p>"Your lives must have been miserable," Alex muffled.</p><p>Offended, Kara was fast to jump in defense of her dead planet. "For your information, Krypton's reproduction system allowed us to genetically engineer a child, and, by doing so, we created a more efficient race who..."</p><p>"Yeah, your half-hour is ticking."</p><p>So not fair. "Sorry. Please, just...” The blonde sighed. “How do you do it?"</p><p>Alex eyed her carefully for a few moments before she took a deep breath. She took her feet down from the table, put her food on the wooden surface, then leaned over with her elbows pressed on it while chewing her bottom lip in the way she did when she was nervous. "Kara, I'm not the person you should be having this conversation with."</p><p>"Alex, you promised me..."</p><p>"Hear me out,” her sister raised a hand to stop her and smiled when she did so, not that she seemed to be having nay fun with the conversation still. “Look, sex isn't like the movies, okay? You won't instantly know what to do, even if it's another woman.” Alex explained in a gentle tone she rarely used with Kara after she got used to her life on Earth. “You might know what feels good on you but every person is different. And, to be honest, that's the best part of having sex with someone new. Getting to know what they like, what drives them crazy, what makes them jump or scream.” They were both blushing so hard that it must have been a funny image to have. Even so, her sister kept talking. “And, along the way, you also find things they don't like. You might trigger something bad or you might break the mood because you touched somewhere they don't enjoy. That's why you talk with your partner and figure things out. Sometimes before, sometimes during and sometimes after. You won't immediately take Lena's clothes off and know that she will like it if you kiss her neck. Maybe she won't. Every person is different."</p><p>Kara digested her words, pounding them inside her head, before nodding. "... With Mon-El..."</p><p>Alex grimaced again. "I really don't need the visual."</p><p>"It's just... Neither of us actually enjoyed it,” she confessed despite her sister’s protests. “Not really. I mean... things were different in Daxam, yes, and he learned a lot more after he came to Earth, because, Rao, you Earth people take sex as the most important thing! He had tried it with other women and when we started dating we just... tried to fit in. I tried to fit in. But... It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't what we were looking for. I'm afraid it will be the same with Lena.” Voicing her fear made her feel a bit lighter and, even though the entire situation was embarrassing, she was glad she decided to talk about it with Alex.</p><p>The redhead scratched the back of her neck. "You don't have to have sex with her just because society tells you to. Or because she wants to. Kara, if you never want to have sex, that's fine. There's nothing wrong with that. If she can't understand, then she doesn't deserve you."</p><p>Yes, Kara could understand that. She thought, at least. "... How was it for you?"</p><p>"For me?” Alex scoffed when the blonde nodded. “God, it was awful. My first time was so bad that I didn't have sex again for another three years. Although, now I know I was trying with the wrong people."</p><p>They both chuckled at that, the mood turning to a more upright direction. "How was it with Maggie?"</p><p>"Better,” Alex whistled and one of her hands moved in a single horizontal motion in front of her like she was measuring something. “Way better. I mean, she took the lead, obviously. She showed me things and she made me feel things I never felt before. I wasn't confident, I'm sure I messed up the first few times, but we liked each other.” The agent sighed and she sounded almost sad then. “And believe me, Kara, sex with someone you like is way different than with anyone else. Maggie was the first woman I ever had sex with, and I knew my fair share when I hooked up with Sara at Barry's wedding, but that didn't even compare. I'm sure that if you ever decide to take the next step with Lena, you will both figure it out. It will be fine."</p><p>It made Kara wonder if her sister missed Maggie. It would make sense and no one would ever blame her for that. They were engaged at some point, they almost got married, they certainly meant a lot to each other at one point in their lives. And maybe Kara missed Maggie too. They weren’t the closest of sisters-in-law but they had mutual respect and understanding that many people didn’t share.</p><p>Kara wondered if Alex and Lena could ever forge that type of relationship too and that made her remember their conversation from a couple of days prior. "She said she wants to take things slow. She said she has to think about Liam too, what it all means to him as well, and she doesn't want to jump into something neither of us is 100% sure about."</p><p>Alex nodded along while she talked and she was reminded that her sister also wished to be a mother, so maybe she could understand Lena on a whole other level. "That's why you should talk to her. Tell her what you just told me about being inexperienced. There's no shame in that, Kara. And then you two can talk and set a pace you're both comfortable with. And when the time comes, if you both want it, then you can take the next step together."</p><p>That was an enlightening conversation and Kara was glad she decided to have it. Deep inside, she just needed to say something else though. "But, like, when the time comes and we want to take the next step... what should I do?"</p><p>Alex rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air. "Okay, fine! Jesus. What do you want to know specifically?"</p><p>Kara fought back her smile. "I get that this is a delicate subject to many, as far as I know, but... no fun stuff with the butt, right?"</p><p>The reaction was instant and it made her crack into loud laughs shortly after. Her sister gaped before she started throwing random items in her direction. "Oh, my God, Kara!” A paperweight, that Kara easily dodged. “I hate you! I absolutely hate you!” The stapler, that flew beside her head. “Get out of here!” The next thing was Alex’s phone and it landed on her lap. “Here, call Maggie, I don't want to hear another word you say! Goddamn it, Kara! I swear to God..."</p><p>Still laughing, so loud that she was sure J’onn would soon show up to know what the commotion was about, Kara threw Alex’s phone back at her. “I’m joking! Rao, you should have seen your face!”</p><p>“That’s so not funny,” Alex mumbled under her breath while pushing her keyboard closer to her. Kara was sure her sister was about to use her favorite escape route: work. “I hope your cape gets stuck on a tree when you fly to Lena’s tonight.”</p><p>Kara laughed a few more times, more out of remnants of her amusement other than Alex’s anger, before she shook her head and dug into her food. “I won’t be seeing her tonight. I was serious. We said we will take things slow, so we agreed we should stop spending every night together. You know, give it some time to miss each other.”</p><p>Alex huffed, although her fingers were flying over her keyboard while she typed. “Is it working?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” the hero admitted. “To be fair, I always miss her when we’re not together. I saw them on Monday and again last night, but we agreed to only see each other again on Friday.”</p><p>“You sound so lame.”</p><p>“Yes, well, I’m in love. Sue me.”</p><p>Kara would blame the delicious food, the sudden good mood surrounding them, the remains of her laughs and, overall, the thought of Lena – that almost seemed to distract her, no matter what. But she didn’t realize what she had said until her sister froze in her chair, her dark eyes going wide as she turned her head to stare at Kara as though she had somehow grown another head.</p><p>“Kara.”</p><p>The blonde blinked, swallowed down her food so hard that it burned its way down, then looked down at her carton of food with her brows furrowed and a slight purse on her lips. Her chopsticks were poking the vegetables inattentively and, if she could pay attention to anything else, she could have tried to remember when was the last time she lost her appetite twice in one day. She could feel the intense, steady stare Alex was shooting at the side of her face and, albeit it was very unsettling and, well, critical, Kara tried not to fidget under it.</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“You know what.”</p><p>Kara sighed and pushed her ass lower in the chair so she was almost lying down on it, her feet perched on her sister’s desk so high that the only part of her that was still touching it was her calves. It was like she was trying to disappear under it, to hide behind the small wooden table so she could pretend her sister wasn’t eying her with such burning inquisitiveness. Even though she wasn’t ashamed of what she felt, never could feel that way, Alex’s approval was still something she aimed for in her day-in-day activities, as much as a loser as it made her sound.</p><p>“Kara.”</p><p>Something in Alex’s voice had changed. Although still deep and clear, it had acquired a gentleness in her tone that wasn’t very usual to be associated with the badass-looking agent. Alex had a soft side, of course, and she was actually a very sweet soul, but she kept her walls so high that hearing her voice shift that drastically was quite disturbing.</p><p>So, Kara decided to look up again from the rim of her black frames and this time she met compassionate eyes. There was no ounce of judgment on her sister’s features and, for a second, she was pulled back to a couple of years back when Alex was looking at her with scared eyes while she tried to explain to Kara that she might be gay – that woman, the same who trusted Kara with a secret that she wasn’t even sure meant anything yet, lingered around the edges of Alex’s impenetrable stance.</p><p>“Does she makes you happy?” Alex asked after a few seconds.</p><p>Kara didn’t have to think about an answer, not really. Still, for her sister’s sake, she let the question sink in before she nodded. “I don’t think I have ever been this happy, Alex.”</p><p>The redhead eyed her for a while longer before she also nodded and went back to her typing – although Kara wasn’t sure if she was actually working or just faking it. “Bring her for Games Night then.”</p><p>“Only if you invite Sam as well.”</p><p>Alex rolled her eyes. “I won’t be the one who already took the girl out on a date. No way.”</p><p>“Alex,” she sang quite in delight. “If you don’t, I will.”</p><p>“It’s not like I can control your stupid actions, as it was proved numerous times before.”</p><p>“You can thank me during your wedding speech.”</p><p>“Don’t you have anywhere else to be?” Alex threw her a glare but that only made her smile wider. “Since you’re having a break from being a stalker, what about you come back here after work so we can put the training room to use?”</p><p>“If you don’t mind getting your ass kicked, fine by me.”</p><p>Which was, now that she wonders back at it, the wrong thing to say because her sister had a very competitive side that could rival with hers easily. The problem was, as much as it pained her to admit, that Alex was much more skilled in hand-in-hand combat than Kara was and, with the Kryptonite dim columns spread over the training room, she couldn’t rely on her powers as much as she would like.</p><p>That said, she was the one who got her ass kicked. Badly.</p><p>“Can you move?” Kara asked with a groan from her place spread on the floor after a particularly hard tackle her sister had attacked her with. She pointed at Alex’s right foot and her sister quickly moved it with a bit of confusion. “You were stepping on my pride, thanks.”</p><p>Alex huffed a laugh as she extended one of her hands for Kara to take. The agent helped her to rise to her feet again, between groans of pain and a few muttered words, and Kara patted her hands on her thighs once she was standing to brush off the dirt from them.</p><p>“I have to say, although there’s no one here to see me beating the shit out of Supergirl, you’re much more humble when we’re alone,” Alex commented in defiance.</p><p>However, Kara brushed it off with a scoff. “Yes, well...” She waved a hand. “Shut up.”</p><p>Alex shook her head before she straightened her body to a combat position again. “Come one, one more time.”</p><p>Kara groaned as every fiber on her body begged her to get the hell out of that room. Alex was relentless on most days but after Kara ducked away from so many training sessions during those four months – even though she showed up at the DEO daily, no matter what – she seemed even more set on making her younger sister pay for it. Once they were out of that room and the last traces of the effect green Kryptonite have on her tapered off, her body would heal. There would be no bruises, scratches, or even the lingering tiredness she felt at that moment.</p><p>Until then, she would have to bear some more of her sister’s kicks.</p><p>Just when she was setting her foot in the right position behind her, a ringtone cut off the otherwise quietness of the room. They both turned to look at where Alex had discarded her jacket when they entered for the brief second that it took for them to understand what that sound meant. Then, Alex scoffed.</p><p>“Lucky bastard,” she mumbled under her breath while making a quick jog to the bench near the door. Although very unbreakable, Kara couldn’t help the small amount of relief she felt when her sister started reading the alert that was sent to her work phone. “We have a group of robbers downtown trying to invade an abandoned hangar.”</p><p>“Okay, let’s go.” After weeks of putting down fires and saving kittens, Kara was ready for anything else really.</p><p>The DEO’s working hours were already over for a while when they exited the room, albeit some of the agents still lingered around while filling out reports or doing their own training. Kara was already wearing her suit – a habit she acquired while visiting the DEO when it wasn’t lunchtime since it was harder to explain why agent Danver’s little sister was allowed to walk around the hallways like everyone else – so all they had to do was make a quick stop at the weapons room so Alex could slip on a bulletproof vest and grab her little darling gun.</p><p>From there, they followed the GPS coordinates easily until they found the crowd of cops surrounding a particular hangar in the city’s warehouse district. The thing wasn’t impressive, neither it appeared to have anything special about it. Between some massive ones, and others so old they looked like a light wind would have them falling apart, the only thing different about this one was that it was painted red. Albeit the paint itself was faded and worn out giving it the appearance of a thing no one had laid eyes on for years.</p><p>Even so, Kara could see heads peeking from the windows and other openings, and she knew the robbers had made it inside the hangar before the local police could stop them. J’onn was already there, flanked by three other DEO agents, and he nodded in greeting when he spotted them.</p><p>“Situation?” Alex asked, her entire demeanor assuming her agent side as she took the reins of the show. It was quite impressive to watch, no lies.</p><p>“One officer shot, already on the way to the hospital. Everyone else surrounded the area, but they have military ammunition. We have been waiting for you, Supergirl.” J’onn pointed at her direction with his chin and Kara puffed her chest immediately.</p><p>“I will break through the roof. Ask the police to stay back.”</p><p>After Alex gave her the signal that the path was clear, Kara descended from the sky like a rocket, breaking concrete, wood, and iron to make room for herself. The noise was deafening to her so she took some precious seconds to recover when her right knee hit the floor. Left fist pressed on the ground and head ducked, Kara waited until her ears stopped ringing before she looked up. It took maybe three or four seconds and the robbers still hadn’t recovered from their shock of having Supergirl breaking in through the roof and falling right in the middle of the hanger – that was, notably, larger from inside.</p><p>There wasn’t much around, some piled boxes, a forgotten trolley, and fallen pieces of steel – and now, well, parts of the roof. The men inside all ran to hide behind what they could once they managed to move again and Kara tried not to laugh at how ridiculous they looked. She counted to three inside her head before the first bullet was shot in her direction. It came from the left and it hit her shoulder before it rebounded on her impenetrable skin and hit a wall.</p><p>After that, the shots came from everywhere. Supergirl didn’t allow it to disturb her when she got up, using her right hand to push her cape back, before she advanced against the closest robber. She kept in mind her strength, not wishing to cause any casualties, but one by one they came down, their guns falling into a pile in the middle of the room, until there was no one left. Fourteen, in total, which seemed quite excessive considering that the room was filled with boxes and nothing else.</p><p>Kara opened the hangar doors a second later, allowing space for the police officers to enter the space, and her eyes immediately fell on Alex. “There were too many of them for a place that’s almost empty,” she commented after her sister approached her.</p><p>“Maybe that wasn’t the real target,” Alex said. “Maybe one of the other ones was the goal but they needed to pass through here. Besides, the more the merrier, right?”</p><p>“I will ask our agents to take a look at the hangars around the area to see if they find something,” J’onn informed them before taking off to do exactly that.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Alex asked once he was gone, placing a hand on Supergirl’s shoulder and giving her a pointed look.</p><p>The blonde nodded. “Perfect. I will help the police to load them in the vans. I doubt they will wake up soon.”</p><p>“Okay, I will join the investigative team to see what we find.”</p><p>Kara found a rookie inside the hangar when she walked back and he offered her a tentative smile. “We already moved some of them, Supergirl.”</p><p>“Let me help you with the rest,” she offered with a pat on his back.</p><p>The night was long, nothing Kara had never handled before – and she certainly had dealt with worse – but it tired her out pretty bad after months of a very consistent sleeping pattern. She got home way past three in the morning and basically passed out in the bed with her face down and her suit still on, but not before promising J’onn she would stop by the DEO first thing in the morning to write down her report on the mission before going to work.</p><p>Which is why Kara was still feeling like a cheap version of a zombie the next morning. To make it on time, she had to drop off from her comfortable bed at 5:30 and leave without her precious breakfast, then sit on one of the DEO’s computers and start typing with slightly uncoordinated fingers due to the sleep still lingering <strike>on</strike> in her brain. Around her, the entire agency was bursting with life. People were already moving on with their schedules for the day, chatting and drinking more coffee than any human should consume.</p><p>J’onn, who apparently hadn’t gone home yet, was reviewing the report of the other agents who had been there the night before; Alex still had to show up, although Kara suspected her sister wouldn’t be up for another hour or two. And she kind of missed having Winn around because he would at least try to improve her humor with one of his silly jokes. As it was, Kara was left to her own morning grumpiness caused by sleep deprivation and lack of food while trying to make her mind remember all the facts of the operation they handled all through the night.</p><p>The clock was turning to 6:12 when her phone buzzed on the desk beside her hand. Grateful for any distraction that came her way, Kara picked it up and instantly smiled when she saw Lena’s name flashing on the screen. She unlocked the device, accessed the messages, and made a quick read.</p><p>
  <em>“Good morning. Someone decided that today was the perfect day to watch the sunrise so I’m already three teacups in. I miss coffee.”</em>
</p><p>Kara chuckled, her fingers sliding on the screen to type her answer. <em>“And how was the sunrise?”</em></p><p>
  <em>“I wouldn’t know. But the crying baby was a joy.”</em>
</p><p>“Director Henshaw?” Kara heard some other agent joining the operation room, assumedly to deliver J’onn more reports, but she barely paid them any attention as their conversation became a muffled sound in the back of her mind.</p><p>
  <em>“Maybe he can feel you miss coffee and is sad for you.”</em>
</p><p>“We got the report from the local police. They’re done interviewing all thirteen suspects and they will indict them this afternoon. The forensics teams are still looking at the pieces of evidence. They will let us know.”</p><p>“Thank you, Agent Mills.”</p><p>
  <em>“Or maybe we both miss you.”</em>
</p><p>Rao, was it possible that her face would split in two with how hard she was smiling? Alex would never let her live it down if she saw her smiling at her phone like that.</p><p>“Supergirl, is your report ready or are you going to stay here all day?”</p><p>“Shit,” Kara mumbled under her breath as she put her phone down to keep typing. She hates doing reports.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Alex: Everybody knows the basic erogenous zones. Here's a sketch so you can see it better.<br/>Kara: There's seven of them? Okay, I get it. How do I do it?<br/>Alex: Well, most people hit one, two, three, then move on to seven and settle out camp.<br/>Kara: And that's a no-no?<br/>Alex: When you go to a self-service, do you eat only potstickers?<br/>Kara: No!<br/>Alex: So, the important thing is to take your time and hit them all. You can start with the one, two. One, two, three. A three. A five. A four. A three, two. A two. A two, four, six. Two, four, six. Four. Two. Two. Four, seven. Five, seven! Six, seven! Seven! Seven! Seven! Seven! Seven! Seven! Seven! Seven!<br/>Kara: *awkwardly drifts off to space and is never seen again*</p><p>*who got the reference for this one?*</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Our spot</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ah, the first date... How cute...<br/>Anyway, I loved how many of you got the reference from the last notes. Friends is the best TV show ever for me and, no, I don't take criticism on this hahaha<br/>To the wonderful human being helping me, you're a blessed soul</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Maybe she should have gone with the purple. Alex said the blue - "Always go with the blue" - and Kara listened to her because she thought her sister had no reason to sabotage her. But now, standing in front of her full body mirror and shaking like a damn leaf, Kara started to wonder if Alex hated her.</p><p>Her sister had helped her choose her clothes and then looked right into her eyes and said she looked great. Kara didn’t feel great. In fact, she never felt so far away from great. She should have put on a dress, high heels, and the fancy earrings Eliza gave her for Christmas a few years back.</p><p>However, she could hear Lena’s heartbeat approaching her place now. The woman had left her penthouse about ten minutes before and, although Kara vowed to never be a creep again, she also couldn’t help the fact that her mind seemed so in sync with the woman’s heartbeat. Now, ten minutes later and five blocks away, Lena was probably looking like a million bucks - the most beautiful woman alive - and Kara honest to Rao didn't feel like she could ever keep up with that. Lena could use a garbage bag and look ready for a runway.</p><p>She was wearing a navy blue button-down shirt, army green pants, dark brown leather belt, and brown leather shoes. Her hair was meticulously pulled into a messy half up half down style, falling over her shoulders in undone waves while partially braided in a semi updo. Her make-up was light and she was wearing a light shade of pink lipstick. She wasn't about to risk it though, so she was still wearing her black frames. Kara would forever deny spending three hours to get ready, doesn't matter how much Alex tries to tell otherwise.</p><p>And although Kara knew, realistically, that she was indeed looking fine, that didn't put her at ease. Mostly because there was a lot in question that night. It wasn't just the outfit she chose to wear, or the expensive perfume she bought on her lunch break just for this occasion, or the earrings Eliza gave her on Christmas a couple of years back that she couldn’t freaking find. It was the fact that she was about to have her very first date with Lena and she didn't feel even slightly ready for that.</p><p>She couldn’t screw this up. She was already so far on the road of falling in love with Lena that she ran past the point of no return miles and miles back- and she totally missed it. If she had any hopes of not falling in love, they were all gone the second Lena called her 'Kara' for the first time, although she was already in deep shit way before that. In reality, she was sure she had just crossed the road sign to ‘I fell in love’ city.</p><p>So, yes, Kara was about to leave to the most important night of her entire life and she couldn’t stop shaking, her mind couldn’t stop coming up with ways things could all go wrong, her mouth and lips felt too dry, her heart was racing, her palms were sweaty and, for the love of Rao, Kara was regretting every single one of all the decisions she ever took in her life. The clothes? Should've picked a dress. The hair? Should've tied it up. What was she even thinking?</p><p>She wasn't that interesting either. As soon as they were alone, with no baby whatsoever, Lena would certainly realize that. They spent hours talking late at night, but Liam was always there, just a few steps away, and, to be fair, they always ended up talking about him at some point. Kara was a cub reporter, she had literally nothing too exciting to say. And the last thing she wanted was to go on that date as Supergirl. No, she was taking Lena as Kara, period.</p><p>The thing though, she wondered while smoothing down her shirt,was that Kara had every intention of taking Lena out for a date as herself. Kara Zor-El, Kryptonian, alien, the list goes on and on. And Kara wasn't half as confident as Supergirl was. Funnier, maybe, but definitely not more confident.</p><p>Letting her hand fall when it raised to fiddle with her glasses, Kara tried to gather her thoughts again. She made a list of things for the night because Cat spent all day away from the office and Kara was too nervous to do any work, so, she decided that putting her goals down on a paper would help her see things more clearly - and also help her trace a way to get them.</p><p>The first thing: make sure Lena enjoys the night. One of the hardest ones and also the most important. Kara wanted Lena to enjoy their date, to have fun and also be able to feel comfortable enough to be herself. Priority.</p><p>Second, Kara didn't want their first date to mean they were starting from scratch. They had been sort of friends, as she so eloquently said to Ruby, for over four months now, they had kissed more than once, and there was no need for them to pretend that wasn't the case. They might not know everything about each other's lives, but they already knew quite a lot. So, boring themselves with the usual questions a first date requires sounded as stupid as it would be. For that, Kara had no plan and that was what was giving her such a hard time. She had no idea if the first challenge would be beaten and no idea how to achieve the second one.</p><p>And, third, but no less important, she needed to set things straight with Lena. She needed to let the woman know she had no clue what "go slow" means because she doesn't know what "going fast" entails. Kara needed to explain everything.</p><p>She also had every intention of being 100% honest with Lena and honesty, no matter how much you trust a person, can be very scary sometimes.</p><p>(And, also, maybe, perhaps, she was kind of expecting to receive a kiss at the end of the night and she had to earn it, right? She was just trying to make sure she would earn it).</p><p>Kara also had no idea where Lena was going to take her. The woman refused to reply to her texts and she got so nervous that she asked Alex to pry on Sam to try and find out, but the other woman also hadn’t provided any more than Lena already had. So, Kara was left to wonder and, Rao, could her mind be very creative. She was almost sure Lena wouldn’t take her anywhere crowded, both because she didn’t seem like the type of person who would enjoy spending her night in a crowded restaurant filled with people she didn’t know, and also because her last name still gave a lot of people pause.</p><p>But that didn’t make her any closer to figuring out where Lena would take her.</p><p>That was going to soon be answered though because she could hear Lena’s heartbeat reaching her apartment building. Lena had never been there before, she didn’t even know where Kara lived until she texted her the address, and Kara suddenly felt very self-conscious about the place she lived. It wasn’t a bad place, far from that, the building was new and quite cute looking, her studio apartment had the brick walls showing but the furniture was very well spread to separate the space even without walls and doors.</p><p>Even so, it was far from the luxury Lena was used to. So very far.</p><p>So, when her phone rang with a new text from Lena to let her know she was downstairs, Kara didn’t offer for her to come up and see her place. It was a little hypocritical of her since she knew where Lena lived and had basically made it her second place, but she also wasn’t sure she was ready to let the wealthy woman know she had a curtain separating her bed from the rest of her apartment. Instead, the blonde picked up her wallet, phone and ran down the stairs, two steps at a time.</p><p>Because she was a nervous wreck but she couldn’t be more excited either.</p><p>They were going out on a date! Lena and her! Together! She could barely even believe that Lena had to ask... Holy, Rao.</p><p>“Well, thank you,” Lena chuckled.</p><p>Did she say it aloud? Oh, fuck. Kara closed her eyes when embarrassment washed over and she had to hold back the urgent feeling of turning around and locking herself inside her apartment for the rest of her long, miserable life. Way to go, Kara. Way to go.</p><p>In her defense though, she had forgotten how utterly gorgeous Lena was in the last days they hadn’t seen each other. Well, not exactly forgotten, but she surely got less able to control her body’s reactions. It also wasn’t fair that Lena decided to wear such a tight dress. It was tight, so damn tight, that, for a second, Kara wondered if it hadn’t been painted on her instead. It was all black and stopped just above her knees, short sleeves falling graciously over her shoulders. The dress didn’t show her collarbones – which was a crime because Kara loved to see those – but it had a hint of cleavage, a single stripe dipping down just enough to make Kara’s imagination work. And, boy, it certainly worked.</p><p>To give it the final touch, she was also wearing a black belt around her waist that was clearly just for the sake of fashion. The woman’s hair was down, her make-up was perfectly shaping her face, and her lips were, oh, so red. And Lena was standing on her sidewalk, in front of her building, waiting for Kara to stop gaping like a fish to take her out on a date.</p><p>Her. Of all people, Kara.</p><p>Suddenly, she felt underdressed. She should have picked up a jacket or, even better, changed altogether. Maybe she had time for it. It would literally take her a minute, so if Lena agreed to wait a bit, she could...</p><p>“You’re looking amazing yourself.”</p><p>Unable to stop herself, Kara frowned. “Really?” She glanced down at her outfit and almost cringed. She had no idea where Lena would take her, but the poor woman would be so embarrassed to walk in with Kara. She looked like...</p><p>“Oh, yes.”</p><p>Kara’s eyes snapped up. Lena’s voice had gone sulky and it sounded much closer than Kara was expecting. The brunette had moved closer without her noticing it and was now reaching out a hand to touch a loose strand of blonde hair. Kara almost passed out. Instead, she gulped and prayed to Rao that her knees would be able to hold her up for just a while longer.</p><p>“Very handsome, indeed.”</p><p>Kara blushed so hard that she thought her glasses might melt with the sheer heat coming from her face. She cleared her throat, placed both hands on her waist because she had no idea what to do with them, and then ducked her head. “Thank you. I – I, uh,” Kara sighed to herself. Slowly shaking her head, clearly disappointed with something – probably herself. “I’m sorry. You... Well, you look gorgeous.”</p><p>When their eyes met again, Lena’s face had lost the teasing from before. Her features had softened out, her smile turning loving, and her head tilted just slightly. “Thank you, darling. Are you ready to go?”</p><p>“Yes!” The blonde almost jumped, albeit her scream was enough to express how very much ready she was. Blushing again, she nodded. “Where are you taking me?”</p><p>“Well,” Lena chanted happily as she took a step to the side. That was the first time Kara noticed the car parked behind her. It was the same car she almost ripped the door out of to save her all those months back and it brought her a tiny bit of nostalgia to see it again while they walked towards it. Lena made a quick stop to open the passenger door at her and offer a wink over her shoulder. “You will have to wait and see.”</p><p>“Not fair! I’m a curious person!”</p><p>But Lena didn’t tell her anything, she didn’t even give her any hints, no matter how hard Kara tried to pry her on that. To appease her though, the woman gave her full control over the radio and drove away. Kara went through her selections for a while, finding some of the options quite amusing.</p><p>“I didn’t take you as a rock fan,” she commented.</p><p>“Not rock in general,” Lena responded with an eye roll.</p><p>Kara chuckled. “I can see that. You seem to have a very extensive collection of women singing their feelings out. Joan Jett, for example.”</p><p>“Hey, don’t song shame me!”</p><p>“I’m not! I just didn’t know you liked those songs.”</p><p>Lena turned her head to look at Kara for a brief second and her lips curled up just a bit. “What did you think I usually listen to? Mozart?”</p><p>“Well, not <em>Mozart</em>, but... Maybe Beethoven?”</p><p>The younger woman laughed at that. “What about you? Do you also have a secret music selection like a hypocrite or do you actually listen to Taylor Swift?”</p><p>Kara gaped at her in faked shock before she huffed. “For your information, I do <em>not </em>listen to Taylor Swift!” And, since the timing was everything, Kara waited a couple of seconds to mumble under her breath, “All the time.”</p><p>“I knew it!”</p><p>They both shared a loud, happy laugh inside the warm car and that’s when Kara felt all the tension leave her body. She had no idea why she got so worried in the first place. That was Lena. That was still her Lena. A night of formalities wouldn’t change it, neither would the pressure society put on relationships, nor the clothes she decided to wear. To be honest, she was more worried about what other people would think when they saw her with Lena than what the woman would think when she saw her. Which was obviously a stupid mistake because the youngest Luthor had clearly approved her outfit and her opinion was the only one Kara should take into consideration.</p><p>So, no. Their date night might be the most important night of her life, but Lena was going to be there with her and, in the end, nothing else mattered.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Kara blinked in confusion. “What?”</p><p>Lena glanced at her quickly, a puzzled grin on her face. “You were just looking at me and smiling.”</p><p>Now that Lena mentioned it, the blonde realized she had been doing exactly that. Just gazing at Lena behind the wheel and smiling like the woman was offering her the Sun on a silver tray. Kara shook her head then, trying to clear her mind and get her thoughts back on track. “Nothing.”</p><p>“Nothing? Are you sure? Were you going to ask me where I’m taking you again?”</p><p>Kara shook her head again, this time smiling more openly, although her eyes didn’t move away from her date’s face. “I have something much more important to ask.”</p><p>Lena seemed a little surprised by that comeback but she bravely nodded. “You can ask.”</p><p>"If you could have one superpower... which one would it be?"</p><p>Lena's shoulders lost all the tension they had suddenly acquired and a small smile curled her lips up. "Are you serious?"</p><p>Kara shrugged as she reached out to chose a random playlist to start playing. "It can say a lot about a person, you would be surprised." And she loved knowing the answer to that question, for whatever reason. Alex said she would like the superstrength, Winn wanted to fly, James said he would use the freezing breath to make his photographs easier. Kara was curious to know what Lena would want.</p><p>"Easy for you to say, you have all the powers."</p><p>"I can't read minds, that's why you need to answer my question," Kara remarked. "No dodging any questions tonight. I will answer anything you ask, promise."</p><p>"I won't promise such a thing without knowing what you’re going to ask first," Lena replied. "But I will indulge the first one. What are my options?"</p><p>"Choose between one of mine,” the hero offered with a shrug.</p><p>The brunette took some precious seconds to consider the options, tilting her head from one side to the other, and driving a few more blocks before she finally made a decision. It was clear on the way her jaw set and her eyes squinted, almost as if she could picture it. “Superspeed.”</p><p>“Superspeed?” Kara asked in surprise.</p><p>“What? Another thing you found out about me that shocked you?” Lena mocked. “What did you think I would say?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” she waved a hand around. “Fly? Strength? X-ray vision? High stamina?”</p><p>“Oh, I could use the last one with a newborn baby,” Lena sighed. “No, I would like the super speed. Do you have any idea how many books I would be able to read in a month? Hell, in a week! God, the possibilities!”</p><p>Astonished beyond herself, Kara could only shake her head with her mouth hanging slightly open. “You’re such a nerd,” she accused, albeit not without a ridiculous amount of affection attached to every word.</p><p>Lena rolled her eyes. “My classmates from boarding school would call me that all the time. But, you know what, yes, I am. And I don’t care if no one asks me to go to the fire escape after class.”</p><p>At that, Kara frowned. “The fire escape? What happened on the fire escape?”</p><p>The other woman shrugged. “Back in boarding school,” Lena started, “the fire escape was a place all the boys would take the girls to kiss after classes.”</p><p>“At least you guys would wait until the classes were over,” Kara replied with a short laugh. She noticed that they were reaching a part of town she knew fairly well but still didn’t ask again to where they were going.</p><p>Beside her, Lena huffed. “I never went to the fire escapes, Supergirl. What type of girl do you think I am? Not that anyone asked, anyway.”</p><p>The hero could hear the tiny bit of lingering sadness attached to the woman’s voice, as though the memories still caused some harm even after all those years. She knew it was hard for Lena to talk about anything addressing her past, she had gathered enough information to know it must have been hard for her during many moments of her life, so Kara was fast to jump in to help her distract herself from those painful memories. Promising to herself that she would never let Lena feel like that again, Kara reached out and squeezed the woman’s hand that was resting on the gear. “They were idiots,” she declared without a doubt. “I would have taken you to the fire escape.”</p><p>Lena laughed and she honestly sounded overjoyed by Kara’s silliness. “I would still have said no. I am, as you very nicely put, a nerd. I had to focus on my classes. I didn’t get three PhDs before being twenty-four by taking classes lightly.”</p><p>“That’s fine,” Kara shrugged. “I would probably just follow you around until you were done with your books.”</p><p>“Or you could have helped me study. I’m sure it would have gone way faster if you did.” Lena finally parked the car and turned to look at her. “I would definitely have gone with you to the fire escape then.” With a wink that left Kara breathless, Lena slid out of the car like she was a Queen getting out of her carriage, leaving behind the lingering smell of her perfume and Kara’s racing heart.</p><p>It wasn’t until the car’s door opened by her side that Kara finally realized where they were. With a slight frown, Kara also got out of the car. “The park?”</p><p>Of every location her vivid imagination had pictured, National City’s Park was not even on the list. Lena, on the other hand, seemed very sure of her choice when she stopped right in front of the blonde and directed a large smile at her. “Yes, the park. That’s the first place we ever came together and I thought it would be nice to come back. Don’t worry, I have things planned and I’m not going to take you to the shadows to kidnap you or anything.”</p><p>At last, Kara chuckled. Her hands, that had shuffled inside her pockets, itched to reach forward and touch Lena, but she wasn’t sure she should. Instead, she ducked her head to hide the blush, although the lamp illuminating the street was doing a poor job of giving the human woman a clear view of her surroundings. When Kara thought she got things under control – which, admittedly, she would never master around Lena – she looked up again.</p><p>“Lead the way.”</p><p>The brunette’s smile got even wider, if possible, before she turned her body so she was standing beside Kara. “Follow me, darling.”</p><p>Lena took her to a clean spot near the pond slash lake that wasn’t far away from the place they had their picnic almost a week before. This time, instead of a blanket draped on the floor, there was a small table set for two and Kara wondered if Lena paid for someone to guard the place while she went to pick her up. There was also no one around, which was unusual for a warm Friday night like that one, so she considered if the woman somehow managed to rent a public park for the night. She was not going to break the mood asking those questions though.</p><p>“Are those potstickers?”</p><p>The other woman nodded. “Only for you. Unless you wish to share as you did with the fries.”</p><p>“Hey, you know you ended up eating all of that.”</p><p>They had reached the table when Lena finally answered with a smirk. “All I had to do was smile and you gave me all of your food.”</p><p>Kara huffed. They sat across from each other by now and she tried to think about how she should reply to that. This was a date, yes. Kara knew that, she was very aware of that, she was sure of that. That didn't mean her brain had already understood what was going on, neither did it mean it was ready to deal with a gorgeous looking, smiling eagerly, flirting across the table Lena. Because it definitely wasn't ready for that.</p><p>Finally, Lena laughed a deep throaty laugh that made Kara's inside tremble. Was it possible for her internal organs to shiver? Whatever it was, it was new. The woman reached out to grab her hand before Kara could dwell too much on that, bringing their joined hands to rest together on the white tablecloth. Then, she winked and Kara's breath got stuck on the back of her throat.</p><p>"Are you even breathing right now?" Lena teased her.</p><p>"Lena," Kara groaned, her voice coming back with a soft touch. "You can't do things like that."</p><p>"Why not?"</p><p>"Because then I will want to kiss you."</p><p>Lena raised one perfectly done eyebrow as her free palm raised to cup her own jaw, elbow resting on the table, so she could tilt her head to look at the blonde from under the hood of her eyes. "And why don't you?"</p><p>"Rao, woman," Kara huffed a surprised chuckle. "You're evil." She shook her head, the loving smile taking all the bite from her words. "Here I am, trying to have a nice first date, take things slow, and you're trying to distort my way."</p><p>Lena rolled her eyes and waved a hand while sitting back on her chair, letting go of Kara's hand to grab the napkin the restaurant had provided them with. Not looking up, the woman clearly wasn't done teasing her. "I think we already crossed that bridge, don't you agree?"</p><p>Kara pursed her lips, pressing them tightly together, before she popped them loudly. "So, just to make sure, I can kiss you?"</p><p>"I don't know," Lena replied with a shrug and her green eyes finally rose to meet Kara's across the table. "<em>Can</em> you?"</p><p>"You're not giving me grammar classes now."</p><p>"I wasn't."</p><p>Their eyes, locked as they were, remained like that for long seconds, each woman studying the other's face like they were trying to put a complicated puzzle together.</p><p>If Kara could kiss her? Rao, that was the thing she wanted to do the most.</p><p>She decided while pushing her chair back, she was going to. Kara didn't walk around the table completely. She just took a couple of steps to the side so she could lean over without knocking things off of the table, then she pressed a hand on the back of Lena's chair and approached her with a large smile, eyes still glued into green orbs like they were magnets that couldn’t be separated.</p><p>Lena, who had been watching her with wide, eager eyes, raised her right hand so she could push a strand of blonde hair behind Kara's ear. Once done, she let her palm linger on the woman's face, running her thumb in circles against her cheekbone. Finally, oh, freaking finally, the hero leaned over the last few inches, their eyes closed at the same time, and then their lips were touching.</p><p>That wasn't their first kiss but it felt just as breathtaking. It was chaste and lasted only five seconds before Kara pulled away. With her eyes still closed, she raised her chin so she could kiss Lena's forehead before she ducked her head again to look into her eyes. The younger woman was already watching her with eyes slightly wet with tears.</p><p>“It wasn’t that hard, was it?” the brunette teased lightly, sounding quite out of breath.</p><p>Kara shook her head distractedly. “I wasn’t sure I was allowed to.”</p><p>"I asked you out on a date, didn’t I?” Lena sighed. “What do you want here, Kara? What are you expecting with this date?" she asked in a whisper.</p><p>"To know you," Kara responded without missing a single beat. "I want to know all of you and I want you to know all of me as well. I know we had a different start from everyone else, but I wouldn’t have it in any other way. Tonight, I want to have a nice meal with the woman I'm so helplessly falling in love with."</p><p>"Kara."</p><p>Her name was just a shocked gasp when it passed through the brunette's plump lips. Kara accepted it with a soft smile before she straightened her body to go back to her chair. She sat, trying to keep her heart at bay and literally not die because of the way Lena was looking at her, and cleared her throat.</p><p>“I suppose I can give you some of my potstickers,” Kara snorted to herself as she tried not to make a big deal of her confession. "There's very little I wouldn’t do for you."</p><p>"Oh, really?" Tease attached to every word and a mischievous smirk on her lips, Lena leaned over by placing both elbows on the table and resting her chin on the back of her crossed hands. Kara was happy to see she was allowed to deflect the subject that easily. "Tell me more about it."</p><p>Kara was getting better at this, she decided, because she recognized the flirt. “Maybe later.” Then, just because she was learning from the best, she threw a wink across the table and watched, in complete shock, as Lena blushed a deep shade of red. Sensing that it was her cue, Kara squirmed in her chair and fidgeted with her glasses for a second. “Speaking of that, Lena, I... I have to tell you something.”</p><p>“Oh, no,” the woman groaned. “Nothing good comes from that. Maybe I should serve us some wine for this.” She must have noticed the confusion on Kara’s face because she was quick to explain, “I got ready for a few drinks tonight." She picked up one of the glasses and the wine bottle that had been placed right in the middle of the table and smiled. "I pumped earlier tonight."</p><p>This almost made Kara choke on her saliva because that made her think about breastfeeding, then Lena breastfeeding, which made her think about the woman's breasts and... she wasn't authorized to do so. Either by the woman or by herself. Bad, Kara. Bad, bad, bad, Kara.</p><p>“Okay, so, what did you want to tell me?” Lena asked once they had both glasses filled with wine.</p><p>And that’s when Kara’s rambling decided to make an appearance – which, of all the times, was probably the worst one. “I’ve never had sex with a woman.” Lean’s eyes bulged and she almost choked on her wine, clearly not expecting that line of conversation. Remarkably, it only made Kara more nervous. “I, well, I’ve only had sex with two other people and neither of them was a woman. And I’m not trying to say we’re going to... you know. But I needed to tell you this because you should know. Yes, you should know that. You also should know that, back...” she took a quick glance around, and, although the park was empty, she decided not to risk it. “Back where I came from, we don’t... we didn’t have... couples didn’t... copulate.”</p><p>Kara managed to sound weirder than when Jeremiah had given her ‘the talk’ all of those years back. The poor man was redder than she was and could barely spit out a word for several minutes until Eliza took pity on the man and took the lead. A decade later, Kara understood how he felt. Copulate. Copulate. Of all the words...</p><p>“Oh,” Lena breathed. She had put her glass back on the table, clearly not sure it was safe to drink it yet, and her eyes were still a bit wide. “Where did... Well, this question will sound stupid, but where did the babies come from?”</p><p>“A test tube,” Kara explained fairly quickly. She could answer that type of question easily. It was science. “Babies were genetically programmed to perform a specific task once they had grown, to fill a position in society. We were all programmed according to society’s needs. Scientists, engineers, warriors, only what was needed. So, babies would be made in a machine and they would stay there until they achieved a certain age.”</p><p>“Wow.” The younger woman took a deep breath as though as she was taking that time to digest her words before she wondered aloud, “no wonder you had no clue how to deal with a baby.”</p><p>Even though the food was smelling delicious and even if Kara didn’t have the time to admire their surroundings yet, she decided it was time to start laying some more of her truths on the table. She peaked her ears but, as she suspected, there was no one around, so she sighed and brought one hand to play with the stem of her wine glass.</p><p>"I know I said I never changed a diaper before, that I never hang around any babies or had any younger cousins, but that's not entirely true,” she sighed again when Lena frowned at her. “I mean, I never changed a diaper, that part is true. I also never spent too much time with a baby, or held any babies, or even took care of a baby. But, back on Krypton,” there, she felt the pang of pain inside her chest, a normal occurrence when she reminded of her birth planet. “Well... I'm older than Superman. He's my cousin, you know? And babies weren't very common back there, but he was a baby when he got sent to Earth and I, well, I was also sent here to take care of him."</p><p>The brunette paused, swirling the dark liquid around her glass carefully but without paying too much attention to what she was doing. "How old were you?"</p><p>"Twelve."</p><p>"That's young,” Lena commented with a hint of sadness.</p><p>"Yes,” the hero shrugged, doing her best to ease her sudden worries. “If I'm a disaster now, just imagine how it would have been,” she attempted to joke.</p><p>"What happened?” The woman asked gently. “You said you never took care of a baby, so I gather you didn't have to look out for him."</p><p>"When my pod landed here on Earth, Kal wasn't a baby anymore,” Kara sighed deeply. “He was a grown man, he even had a beard, can you believe it?” At that, she chuckled, albeit devoided of any humor. “So I got here to take care of baby Kal but there wasn't a baby anymore and I was the one who needed to be taken care of, according to Earth customs. That's how I ended up with the Danvers."</p><p>"Why didn't your cousin take you in? You said he was already an adult."</p><p>"I... I'm not sure. Maybe he didn't feel like he could. Or it was just that he thought I would be better off with a human family.” That wasn’t something she ever talked with Kal about either. “I'm thankful the Danvers took care of me, really. They accept me as a part of their family and I would never regret having met them. I can't even imagine how my life would have been if I was taken to a different house."</p><p>Lena nodded, even if it didn’t look like she quite comprehends the concept the blonde was trying to explain – to be happily accepted by another family. It made Kara’s heart sink like a rock. "Can I ask what happened? How did you get here and find a man instead of a baby?"</p><p>"My pod got knocked off-course and I was sent to the Phantom Zone, which delayed my landing." That was one way to put it, Kara decided. One way to explain the darkness and loneliness that consumed her soul and crawled deep inside her bones.</p><p>"Delayed?” The brunette quirked one eyebrow in awe. “In space? It must have been quite some time."</p><p>"... 24 years."</p><p>"Kara."</p><p>Lena was sad again. That was the last thing Kara wanted. The very last thing. "It's fine. I'm fine. I'm here now, right? I ended up here in the end."</p><p>"But you stayed 24 years in space all by yourself. That must have been hard."</p><p>"Well, there's more pleasurable things, not going to lie,” she tried to light up the mood by offering a huffed chuckle.</p><p>"Do you think Liam reminded you of your cousin?" Lena gulped loud enough that the hero would have been able to hear it even without her powers, so she reached out across the table to grab one of the woman’s hand with both of hers. “Do you think that’s why... That’s why you’re here?”</p><p><em>With me</em>, Kara could hear the unsaid words quite clearly. "I can see how it might look that way. But I don’t think that’s it. I mean, I felt guilty about leaving Kal all by himself for all those years, of course, but the Kents are an amazing family, just like the Danvers. And I don't think I projected him on Liam.” She shook her head vehemently. “It's not a second chance of making it right or anything. It's just... It's just Liam. How can you not love him, you know?"</p><p>The other woman chuckled, tilting her head in agreement. "He does have a charm."</p><p>"I believe he got it from his mama,” Kara winked at her again before she squeezed her hand and let it go with a smile.</p><p>"His nose is not mine, that's for sure...” Lena prompted. It would never cease to amaze Kara how soft Lena turned when she spoke about her son. This time though, her eyes quickly lost their happy glint. “His father and I...” The younger woman interrupted herself by shaking her head and sighing. “Well, it doesn't matter. He's gone and he's not coming back."</p><p>"I'm sorry he's not here,” Kara whispered.</p><p>Lena snorted. "I'm fine. I don't miss him and we turned out to be just fine without him."</p><p>"I'm sorry for <em>him</em>,” Kara corrected quickly while shaking her head. “Look at what he's missing. Liam is amazing. He's a perfect little boy,” she smiled and giggled, and reached out for Lena’s hand again because she just needed to touch her. “He's loud as a train, he poops like crazy, he throws things and he squirms like we're torturing him, but he's perfect.” Biting the bullet, Kara declared: “I love him, Lena. I really do. I know I have no right to, but I do. He has me wrapped around his little finger, it's not even funny. And I'm so sorry that his father is missing all of this. But, Rao, I'm so happy to be here. So happy." Stressing out the last two words, Kara made sure Lena understood what she meant.</p><p>Because she meant every single word she said. She had no idea who would be crazy enough to let go of a family like that but, damn, Kara was happy to be the one there. It might sound harsh or even selfish, but she couldn’t be sad that someone allowed her to take over when they didn’t want to.</p><p>At the end of her little speech, Lena’s face lightened with a large honest smile and she squeezed the hero’s hand back. "I'm happy you're here as well. We both are. Thank you for loving him. I'm sure he loves you as well."</p><p>That brought tears to Kara’s eyes and she had to bit hard on her bottom lip to stop it from trembling. "You asked me why you? Well, I can't explain that. In all honesty, I don't know what got me pulled in your direction in the first place. Maybe it was destiny, maybe it was something deeper than that, if you believe this sort of things. But I'm so happy that I rescued that night. My life became quite upside down and, if I could go back in time, I would still have saved you."</p><p>"You were the first one who ever held Liam,” Lena pointed.</p><p>"Yes,” Kara chuckled at the memory. “The nurse just shoved him into my arms. I think she thought he was mine or something."</p><p>"I wonder..."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>The brunette sighed. "Well, I can't help but wonder if he's not the reason why you kept coming back... The reason why you're still here."</p><p>"He's one of the reasons, of course. But I'm not here only because of him. As I said before, this is not me trying to compensate for something because of my cousin, and I can't fully explain what this even is. But, Rao, Lena, you both mean so much to me. I don't know what pulled me to you that night I met you, neither what it was that made me come back after that, or why I couldn't stay away doesn't matter how hard I tried. What I know is that <em>your</em> heartbeat called out for me. Rao, Lena, I can hear it no matter where I am. It would tug at my heart so hard that I just had to get closer. So I would go and sit on your roof, and I would just listen to it, and I still listen to it every time I’m away.” Kara took a moment to take a deep breath like she had been running a marathon, then she beamed at the other woman. “I don’t know what got us here but something makes me feel that everything has fallen into place since the day I met you.”</p><p>After that, the woman stayed silent for a very long minute during which Kara couldn’t help but squirm on her seat. She wished she had a free hand to fiddle with her glasses or snatch a potsticker to ease her nerves. She should be used to having Lena staying silent or taking her time to answer by now. Kara was the one with the rambling problem, as she once again proved. But that didn’t mean it made her any less tense.</p><p>Finally, after excruciating long moments, Lena let go of a heavy breath and then slowly opened a smile. “Those were some deep topics for a first date.”</p><p>Kara had to laugh at that. She nodded, quite amused. “Don’t every couple talk about those things on their first date? Weird.”</p><p>“Well, it will certainly shorten the road,” Lena huffed and moved her free hand to pick up her wine glass. She sipped at it while raising her brows at Kara before she put it back on the table with a soft thud. “And, I have to say, you have shown a lot of restraining since we got here. You haven’t attacked the food yet.”</p><p>Kara groaned. “Can I say one more thing though?”</p><p>“Go for it.”</p><p>Kara leaned forward with her elbows resting on the table and lowered her voice like she was about to share a big secret. “Forget the butterflies. I feel the whole zoo when I’m with you. Like, sometimes it’s like I have an entire safari happening inside my stomach.”</p><p>Lena smirked and narrowed her eyes. “I don’t think they have butterflies in the zoo.”</p><p>The blonde rolled her eyes then, resting back on her chair. “Fine, mood killer. Can we eat now? I’m starving here!”</p><p>And eat they did. They ate between more light conversation now that every doubt was brushed and the gray cloud wasn’t hovering above them anymore. Laughter came easy, as did the touches, smiles and teasing. They talked about the silliest of things while trying to know the depts of each other that no one else knew, which was exactly what Kara was hoping would happen.</p><p>
  <em>(“What is your favorite song to sing at karaoke?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I don’t do karaoke, Kara.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What? That will have to change!”)</em>
</p><p>Lena had bought enough potstickers to feed a small army and two bottles of wine that they drank between their talk. Kara wasn’t affected by the alcohol and Lena didn’t drink enough to get tipsy, but it surely made her cheeks blush and her laugh to come out louder. Kara loved it.</p><p>
  <em>(“Is there something you dream about but never had the courage to do?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Well, I graduated because I wanted to become a reporter. But... I guess I was never brave enough to actually pursue that. After I got hired as an assistant, I kind of accepted that would be it.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Well, there’s always time to change. I believe you have a lot of potential, Kara. You’re incredibly smart and very committed. I’m absolutely sure you would be a great reporter.”)</em>
</p><p>At some point, after the food was gone and so was the wine, they decided to take a walk. On the way, Kara spotted some other people around so she knew, at least, that Lena didn’t manage to close the park only for their date. It made her feel a bit better, even if that meant she couldn’t take Lena’s hand <strike>i</strike>n hers.</p><p>
  <em>(“What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“My son. Also, I built a robot in sixth grade without any help that got me an international robotic prize.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“One of those trophies doesn’t pee on you though.”)</em>
</p><p>Kara didn’t ask who would pick up the table and clean up the mess while they made their way back to Lena’s car. She wasn’t going to worry about that because the woman clearly had everything planned. And she trusted Lena very much so.</p><p>
  <em>(“Would you like to know how you’re going to die?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Rao, no! I would go paranoid.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Well, I would. I mean, I’m already pretty sure I will die on a plane, that’s why I hate flying, so it would be nice to know if that was actually going to happen.”)</em>
</p><p>Lena drove her back to her apartment, although Kara wasn’t ready for their night to end just yet. They listened to more of Lena’s songs on the way but that was barely a background noise while they kept chatting.</p><p>
  <em>(“Your house is on fire. Liam is safe. What is the only thing you would save from getting burned?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I don’t have to think about that. Supergirl would put the fire down.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Let’s pretend she can’t.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I don’t own anything that I would risk my life to save. What about you?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“My family’s crest. The one my parents put in my pod with me.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“... If I still had it, I would save the teddy bear my mother gave me.”)</em>
</p><p>“Do you want to come upstairs?” Kara asked after unbuckling her seatbelt and, to her surprise, she wasn’t even slightly nervous about her suggestion.</p><p>Lena followed her with a broad smile.</p><p>
  <em>(“What question keeps you up at night?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Do ghosts exist?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Really?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Well, I’m looking to an alien right now. It’s possible!”)</em>
</p><p>“Kara?” Lena asked in confusion when, instead of taking her to the small, unsteady elevator her building had, Kara pulled her gently by one hand to the fire escape stairs at the corner. Her building didn’t have a doorman like Lena’s, neither did it have cameras all around, so it was nice to sneak out unnoticed and she intended on taking full advantage of that. Lena glanced sideways at her when they started walking towards the almost hidden door, barely identified, at the far corner of the building entryway.</p><p>“Do you trust me?” Kara asked with a wink when she turned around to look at Lena. She was walking backward but she was very aware of her surroundings, but it warmed her heart a little bit to see green eyes looking over her shoulder to make sure she wouldn’t bump into something.</p><p>“I dare to say that yes, I do,” the shorter woman replied with only one ounce of hesitation. “Although you’re taking me to the fire escape right now.”</p><p>“Well...” Kara chanted joyfully. She used her hip to push the heavy door open – the lock wasn’t even working – and then started pulling Lena up with her. “I wonder what happens at the fire escape.”</p><p>“I’m not going to kiss you on your fire escape,” the woman warned her.</p><p>“You’re the one who followed me in here.”</p><p>She could almost hear Lena’s eyes rolling. “Kara, I can barely see you.”</p><p>“I was joking,” Kara chuckled, albeit she got more conscious of the way she was pulling Lena, just to make sure she wouldn’t miss a step and hurt herself. “The elevator doesn’t work and why use the normal stairs? They’re lame.”</p><p>“You’re ridiculous.”</p><p>“You’re a nerd and I’m ridiculous,” Kara snorted. “What a pair we make.”</p><p>The other woman paused just before she reached the door to her floor and Kara allowed her body to come to a halt as well – or she would just tug Lena very harshly. When she turned around, Lena was smiling softly at her and it made her heart skip a gigantic step. He missed and landed on his ass again, but it was worth it.</p><p>“A good pair, I hope.”</p><p>With that, Kara had to agree. Smiling like she gained the best gift ever – which, in all truth, she did – Kara leaned forward to retrieve her fire escape kiss. Short and sweet. Like Lena, although she would never say it aloud. “Come on, you still have to tell me about the time you found Sam inside a closet with no clothes on.”</p><p>“She’s going to kill me for telling you this.”</p><p>“There is no reason to fear, my damsel!” And, because she was ridiculous, Kara puffed her chest while pushing the door open much more dramatically than she had to. “Supergirl will save you from your crazy friend.”</p><p>“How very lucky I am. My personal Knight in... red skirt and blue spandex.”</p><p>For that, Lena earned a kiss. Not because Kara agreed with the tease against her poor suit but because she had no problem in being Lena’s Knight. Spandex or not.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kara: I'm so happy that we're going out on our first date!<br/>Lena: Me too. You know what else we should do?<br/>Kara: Eat ice cream?<br/>Lena: *at the same time* Move in together!<br/>Kara: ... oh<br/>Lena: *blushing* We can go this way to buy the ice cream.<br/>Kara: No! OUR apartment is that way! You can't take it back!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Open Comunication</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So... We have some very light smutty times ahead, just to give you guys a heads up. Maybe you want to wait until you're home to read it lol</p><p>Helper, have no words to express how very thankful I am &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Do you want anything to drink?”</p><p>“Just water is fine.”</p><p>Kara nodded, even though the other woman couldn’t see it since her head was pushed deep inside her fridge. She pulled out a jug of water from inside, turned around already reaching for the top cabinet, and kicking the door closed before she pulled out the only two matching cups she owned. All the other ones were either broken or got mixed with Alex’s cups when her sister moved out and let her keep the apartment.</p><p>She poured them some water then walked back to the small couch were Lena was sitting handing one of the cups to her. The brunette took it with a thankful grin and Kara easily slid on to a free spot beside her, far enough to be able to look at her openly but also close enough that her right knee was touching Lena’s left thigh. The woman had crossed her legs but Kara only kept her feet joined by the ground, rhythmically beating on the floor.</p><p>“Not a fancy place, as you can see,” Kara pointed out, waving her free hand around the room. “Guess your mother would have a heart attack if she found out where you’re at right now,” Kara commented with a chuckle. A vein would probably pop in Lillian Luthor’s head...</p><p>"Do we have to talk about our family feud?" Lena asked with a deep frown, all her good mood suddenly gone, and Kara felt bad for causing it.</p><p>However, she contemplated, they had danced around the subject for too long already. She could have chosen a better moment to talk about it maybe, but they would have to address it at some point. "I don't know. Do you want to?"</p><p>Lena stayed silent after that, staring down at her hands, her fingers wiggling together, a deep frown on her forehead and jaw tightly pressed together. Finally, she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and declared: "I guess I should apologize for what my brother tried to do to your cousin."</p><p>Kara, on the other hand, shook her head. "You don't have to apologize for what Lex did. It was his choice and his acts."</p><p>"He still tried to kill your cousin," the brunette argued back with a huff.</p><p>"Yes, well, your mother...” the hero interrupted herself before she could speak what came into her mind. Lena never spoke about Lillian in a good light and she always seemed sad whenever the woman got mentioned, but Kara still wasn’t sure if telling her the truth was a good idea. It there was a chance her relationship with her mother could be fixed, Kara didn’t want to be the reason why they never got  to that point – doesn’t matter that she would never believe Lillian was anything but pure evil. “Never mind."</p><p>Lena wasn’t having it though. "My mother what? What is it, Kara? Tell me."</p><p>Damn, Kara thought. She should have known that the youngest Luthor wouldn’t just let it go. Lena loved to run away from conversations that made her uncomfortable, but she hated not knowing things even more. "It's just... Well, let's say Lillian and I are no strangers to each other. We stumbled upon each other a couple of times before."</p><p>Then, the woman’s face melted into a sad grimace that tugged painfully at Kara’s heart. "... What did she do?"</p><p>"Lena...”</p><p>“Tell me,” Lena demanded but Kara still wasn’t sure it was a good idea.</p><p>"You don't want to know this," she said while shaking her head.</p><p>"Kara, tell me what my mother did to you." Lena wasn’t asking anymore, she realized. She sounded totally serious, her eyes almost cold, although her lips were pressed firmly together like she was afraid they would start trembling if she didn’t do it.</p><p>"Lex and Lillian have very different ways of thinking, right?” Kara raised her hand to fiddle with her glasses for a brief moment. “While Lex wants world domination and he would do anything to get there, including trying to kill his best friend, Lillian just want us all gone. All aliens, I mean. She wants us off of the planet, that's all you need to know."</p><p>"Kara, I am aware that my mother is no saint. I know she has her own crimes to answer for.” Gone was all the bliss from before, replaced by poorly hidden anger and years of mutual hate, and Kara regretted her slip even more now. She wanted to go back to the good feelings. “What did she do?"</p><p>Sighing, Kara decided to rip off the proverbial band-aid. "... She's the head of Cadmus, who was an organization who surged under the pretext of helping the DEO and the army to find alien threats on the planet. But, after Lillian became their leader, it just became an extermination machine. I tried to close their operation a few times before, hence my meetings with your mother. She got a few things from Lex to stop me and things got very bad once."</p><p>"Did she... Did she hurt you?"</p><p>"She had Kryptonite, yes,” the hero nodded once. “And she used it to take me down. Nothing else happened because Alex got there in time and got me out, back to the DEO and under the sun lamps."</p><p>"Oh, my God," the woman gasped.</p><p>Taking notice of Lena’s distress, Kara reached out to take her hand between hers again, this time kneeling in front of her on the ground so Lena would have to look at her. "Hey, I'm fine. Nothing happened. She just gave me a scratch, that's it."</p><p>"She could have killed you!"</p><p>"Yes, she could have. I believe she would if she got her hands on me. But that didn't happen.” Lillian didn’t even get too close, to be honest. The fear was worse than the actual threat in all fairness. “I didn't want to tell you because... well, you don't talk about your family much. I didn't want you to find out what your mother is like and I was also afraid you would blame yourself for her crimes, as you do with Lex."</p><p>With a sad look darkening her features, Lena shook her head as her eyes started to get wet with tears she so clearly was fighting against. "... I can't believe you can even look at me. How can you be around someone whose family had caused you so much harm?"</p><p>Kara almost scoffed at the absurdity of it all. "Because it's not your fault, Lena. None of that was your fault."</p><p>"My family..."</p><p>She wasn’t going to let Lena take the fault for anything so she quickly jumped to defend the woman from herself. "Do you think Liam is to blame for that?"</p><p>Lena’s eyes widened for a second. "What? No!"</p><p>"So, why should you be?” Kara asked even though she wasn’t expecting an answer. “You never did anything to help them. Their crimes are their crimes. I know many people don't think the same and that people will never forget who your family is, but I promise you that I couldn't give two shits about your mother, or your brother, or your father, or anyone who isn't you and Liam."</p><p>There was a pause where Lena just looked too astonished to say anything before she opened a small smile. "That's the first time I heard you curse."</p><p> "I feel dirty, to be honest," she replied, conceding another way out even if she wished to keep talking about it until Lena finally believed in her words.</p><p>Lena must have sensed it because she brought her free hand to cup Kara’s face and offered her a soft, watery smile that made the blonde’s heart swell in sadness and happiness at the same time. "I can't say it will all go away tonight,” she started. “I still feel responsible for many things. I should have noticed Lex was up to something and, God, I knew my mother wasn't a good person, I just never thought she was a murderer as well."</p><p>"If you're going to apologize for that, I should apologize for what Kal did. He put your brother in jail to serve a life sentence."</p><p>"Lex deserved it for what he did. Your cousin did the right thing." Lena spoke and, even if Kara could see she was being honest, it was also clear those were some words she had to convince herself to believe at some point.</p><p>"I still feel bad about it," Kara shrugged.</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"I don't know. Why do you feel bad about what Lex did?"</p><p>The brunette darted her tongue out to moisten her lips while battling another smile, "... I see."</p><p>"What our family did to each other is... crazy,” Kara admitted, forcing her words out when green orbs stared right back at her soul. “But we have nothing to do with that. I mean, your mother is never going to give me her blessing, sure. No Christmas celebration or anything. Who cares? We will make our own family, we don't need them.”</p><p>"I'm sorry my mother tried to kill you," was the next thing Lena spoke after a minute in silence and her voice was quieter than before.</p><p>"Lena..."</p><p>"No, let me. I'm sorry my mother tried to kill you. And I'm sorry about all the crimes my family has committed. And, although I still think I should have stopped them, I understand that what they did is not my fault. But I come from a very hard past, Kara, and it’s hard to glance over that. For me, the crimes the Luthor's had committed happened on a much more personal level."</p><p>"Did... Did they ever hurt you?"</p><p>"When I was a kid and they adopted me, Lillian immediately disliked me,” Lena sighed and Kara couldn’t help but bring her hand to her lips to press a loving kiss on the back of it. It did the trick because Lena smiled down at her and started talking again. “That had never changed. I won't ever be able to understand why she adopted a girl that she hated so much. Lionel was too busy getting addicted to his drinks and ignoring his own family. Lex became the only one who would talk to me. He wasn't always a bad person, Kara. We used to play chess every night. He went to my fencing matches to root for me. He drove me to school after he got his license,” her eyes became almost foggy with the memories only she could see before they hardened again. “And then, one day, father died and he... he changed. And I never meant more than a rock in Lillian's shoe to her. She never beat me or screamed, but sometimes I wish she did. It would be easier to forget than the way she looked at me or the words she whispered just to cause harm. My life inside that house was a nightmare and I was so happy when I could finally leave and go to college.”</p><p>“Did things get better after that?” Kara asked completely out of curiosity.</p><p>Lena nodded. “I met Sam and things started to look brighter. And then, a couple of years later, I got kidnapped. Nothing bad happened, they just took me to a dirty apartment and kept me there for a few hours, then the police came and saved me. And while I walked around the station, scared and crying, I was hoping Lillian would be relieved that I was fine or that Lex would hug me again after so many years. But when I looked at them, I just knew they had done it. They tried to kill me."</p><p>Red.</p><p>Kara saw red.</p><p>She saw Lillian Luthor and Lex Luthor standing in front of her and then she saw red. How dare they? How fucking dare they try and lay a hand on Lena? How dare they think that even a hair on her head was worth hurting. "Lena..."</p><p>The woman though shook her head and smiled in a way that helped Kara to remember that Lena wasn’t made of glass. "I saw my birth mother die. She drowned right in front of me and I could do nothing to save her. I was four years old and we were having a picnic. She told me to wait because she was going to swim for a while, gave me a toy to get distracted, and then just... never came back. It took me years to understand what had happened.”</p><p>Lena sighed sadly before she tugged at Kara’s hand gently to motion for her to take a seat back on the couch. Kara did so, making sure they were close enough that she could keep holding the woman’s hands to show her support. Once satisfied with Kara’s new location, Lena continued, “I was too young to understand she hadn't left me, that something bad had happened. And, God, for years I hated her for leaving me because then I went to live with the Luthors and my life became a living Hell. And now I hate myself for ever feeling like that towards the only person who really loved me. That's why I couldn't...” She closed her eyes for some long seconds, taking deep breaths to try and calm her racing heart. When she spoke again, her voice sounded almost naked. “When I found out I was pregnant, I thought about ending it. I was just starting my career, the father was gone, my family is crazy, and having a kid was never in my life plans. I even drove to the clinic with Sam and we sat there for hours, but I couldn't do it. I respect women who do it, believe me when I say that we know what's the best for us, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.”</p><p>Kara squeezed her hands tightly, showing she understood, and Lena smiled gratefully at her. “I vowed to be a better mother than Lillian ever was. I thought about taking my kid to the park, having picnics by the lake, going out for ice cream, spending time in museums and libraries, taking him to funfairs, and just letting him know he's not alone. Because, Kara, I felt like I was alone my entire life... And then you came. Literally invaded my life.” Laughing softly at her own joke, Lena ducked her head to look at their joined hands and Kara couldn’t help but do the same. “I like your place.”</p><p>It was such a sudden change of subject that Kara had to blink to get her mind working again. Once she felt like she could speak again, after swallowing the lump in her throat, she nodded. One of these days, she thought, she would have to make Lena stop changing subjects whenever she felt uncomfortable. “The rent is good and it’s close to my work.” Rolling her eyes at herself, Kara scoffed. “I should get used to not having a job anymore, Rao.”</p><p>“About that...” Lena started, then interrupted herself suddenly. She blushed, a light shade of pink coloring her chest, neck, and cheeks, and she brought the cup previously forgotten against her lips while clearing their throat and looking away.</p><p>That certainly rang some alarms inside Kara’s head. “What? What about it?”</p><p>Lena sighed deeply before she gathered enough courage to look back at the blonde. “I had a meeting with Cat Grant today.”</p><p>Kara blinked in surprise, shocked beyond belief. She knew her boss was busy with a very important meeting all day but she never thought Lena could have anything to do with it. Ms. Grant spent all day away from the office and Kara was sure she would announce everyone had lost their jobs once she got back but, instead, her boss walked straight to her office, closed the door, and said nothing. And now she hears Lena was with her?</p><p>“I bought CatCo.” Her mouth was hanging open a second after she heard the words and Kara didn’t even try to hide it. She must have looked quite amusing because Lena chuckled at her. “Pretty badass, huh?”</p><p>“You... You bought CatCo?” Kara repeated even if she was 100% sure of what she had heard before.</p><p>Lena nodded. “I did.”</p><p>Kara wasn’t sure what to do with that piece of information. There were a couple of things that crossed her mind – kiss Lena senseless because, Rao, that was hot was only one of those things – but nothing seemed right. So, instead of jumping to grab Lena’s face and kissing her like the world was about to end, Kara shook her head.</p><p>“You’re kidding,” she accused. “Are you kidding?”</p><p>The brunette chuckled again, although her smile looked a bit more nervous than before. “I’m most certainly am not. What do you think?”</p><p>“Lena,” that was the only thing she could bring herself to say.</p><p>“And I was wondering if maybe,” Lena tilted her head a little and gave Kara a side-smile that made her double dimples show up perfectly – and if Kara’s heart stumbled again? Just a detail. “If maybe you would like to break the story.”</p><p>The alien huffed in shock, her eyes widening. “You want me to do what?”</p><p>“You said you dream about being a reporter. That can be your chance.”</p><p>Kara shook her head quickly at that. “Lena, I’ve never wrote anything before. I was just Cat Grant’s assistant.”</p><p>“I trust you to do an amazing job, Kara,” Lena reached over to grab her hand, the same one that was clutching at her pants leg without her realizing it. “Besides, I know nothing about running a media empire. But the stock market shouldn’t know about it.”</p><p>Finally, once the shock finally slips away, she allowed herself to smile. “You’re my boss for less than a day and you’re already telling me what to write?”</p><p>“Far from that!” Lena denied it with a laugh of her own. “Don’t worry. Sam will assume CatCo until I’m back from my maternity leave, she will make sure you will remain unbiased.”</p><p>“I can’t believe you bought CatCo.” Kara wanted to ask her if it has anything to do with the fact that she had complained about losing her job a few times now but she kept from doing so. It was silly to even think about it. “I’m not a reporter, Lena.”</p><p>“Neither am I,” the woman remarked with a wink. “But you graduated in the area and you studied under Cat’s influence for quite some time. And I trust you.”</p><p>“I hope I don’t let you down.”</p><p>“You never could.”</p><p>Kara shook her head. “I mean it, Lena. You mean so much to me.”</p><p>"But why?" Lena’s voice was filled with disbelief, her green eyes starting to redden with tears.</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"Why me, Kara? I had just given birth, you <em>saw</em> me giving birth,” Lena huffed, sounding quite annoyed with herself for some reason. Then, she let go of Kara’s hand so she could press her palm against her stomach and fiddle with her fingers like she did when she was nervous. Meanwhile, Kara could only miss the warm skin touching hers. “I was a mess, both in and out."</p><p>"Of course you weren't!" The hero was fast to refute, shaking her head vehemently.</p><p>"Please,” Lena rolled her eyes. “I'm still losing the weight I gained while I was pregnant and I barely had the energy to put on any clothes that weren't my pajamas the first times you saw me."</p><p>"Lena,” Kara started slowly, darting her tongue out to wet her bottom lip. “The first time I saw you, I honestly thought that Rao himself had picked me up from the crowd, transported me through the Universe , and placed me in Greece among the Gods."</p><p>At that, Lena at least chuckled, although she rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Smooth."</p><p>Kara shook her head, unable to believe that the woman in front of her couldn’t see how utterly gorgeous she was. She wasn’t lying when she thought she was living on another planet when she first saw Lena. The woman was, truly, from another world. "You're beautiful, Lena. You're so, <em>so</em> beautiful. I wish I had the words to describe how gorgeous you are to me."</p><p>Lena closed her eyes briefly at that, tilting her head to the side an inch before she huffed a laugh. “You ask me to come upstairs, you drag me through your fire escape and now you’re sweet talking me. Where do you think we’re heading to tonight, Kara?”</p><p>“Wha-what?” Kara blinked, then she moved her torso back as though the other woman had pushed her away, her eyes going wide. “No! No! I mean, I wasn’t... We’re taking this slow, I get it! I have no idea what going slow means, but I’m fine with letting you set the pace! I wasn’t trying to...”</p><p>“Relax,” the brunette demanded between a breathy laugh. “I was just messing with you.”</p><p>Of course, she was, Kara thought to herself. As much as Kara used her rambling when she got nervous about something, Lena loved to dodge. In fact, she did it better than Alex, which certainly deserved some sort of recognition. She was going to allow it for now because she could see how uncomfortable Lena was.</p><p>Even so, her forehead crinkled. “You’re an evil genius. I don’t know if I’m okay with that.”</p><p>“Comes with dating a Luthor, I’m afraid, darling.”</p><p>Dating.</p><p>Kara could barely even register what the word meant. It felt so surreal, although, after almost five months, it was more surreal to think there was a time of her life where she didn’t know Lena. She truly felt like it was a lifetime they had spent together already. And now they were dating?</p><p>Rao had certainly blessed her when he put Lena in her way.</p><p>Since there was nothing else Kara wished to do other than pull Lena into her arms and make up for the lost time, she leaned forward with a smile. “Guess I will have to get used to that,” she whispered when her lips were separated only by a breath.</p><p>Then Lena smirked, her green eyes glancing down at her lips, then back at her eyes, before she closed the distance between them. Lena's lips felt so good against hers that Kara wondered if it was possible to die by emotional overflow. Her entire body was tingling, head to toe, her breath was hallowed and short, her hands were trembling slightly - one of them cupping Lena's face and the other one grabbing the back of her couch so hard that she was sure it would break at any moment - and her heart was doing that thing again when it would try to reach out for Lena by ripping itself from her chest.</p><p>One of Lena's hands was suddenly tangled in her hair and the other one was holding the front of her shirt so tightly that Kara wondered if she was going to manage to rip it apart. All she could feel was Lena's lips, Lena's hands, Lena's thigh pressed against her knee, the heat coming from the other body, and the inebriating smell that was entirely Lena. She couldn't breathe deep enough, couldn't touch hard enough, couldn't kiss for long enough.</p><p>Kara had never wished to be human more than in that moment when all she wished was to hold Lena into her arms and show her how much she made her feel.</p><p>Instead, Kara took a deep breath through her nostrils and tried to pull Lena closer. This kiss was different from every other kiss they shared before. While all the other ones had been sweet, sentimental, and endearing, this one was eager, heavy with desire, not an ounce of tentativeness that was present in the other ones, urgent even. Their noses were bumping, teeth clashing, heavy breath mixing. Kara could feel something growing in her lower stomach, something warm and fuzzy, aching and making her spine tingle like it received a jolt.</p><p>That's when Kara hesitated. She wasn't sure she had ever felt that before and she also didn’t know if Lena was okay with what was happening - them basically making out on her small couch. Trying to slow down the pace, Kara moved her hand until she pressed her thumb against the corner of Lena's mouth, stopping her next move gently. It gets the complete opposite reaction from the other woman. Lena gasped with the touch, her lips parting, before she tilted her head an inch to the side to be able to press a kiss against the blonde's finger. Entranced, totally frozen, Kara could only watch when Lena closed her lips around her thumb and sucked lightly at it.</p><p>It was like her entire body came to life with that small pressure against her skin. Kara groaned, both in shock and pleasure, before she nudged Lena's face back to her direction and that time she didn't hold back. Lena was eager to match her pace and, like she also couldn't stay away, her body started to move. The woman got up without breaking their kiss, barely managing to stand on her wobbly legs, before the straddled Kara's thighs and climbed her lap, closing her thighs tightly around the blonde's. With the new position, Kara had to raise her head to keep up with the kiss and Lena had to lean down, but they were totally fine with it.</p><p>The blonde moved her hands so they were resting on Lena's hips at the same time two warm palms cupped her face and short nails started to scratch the back of her neck in a way that almost drove her insane. Suddenly, between their tongues darting inside each other's mouth, Lena's teeth closed around her bottom lip and bit down. It was gentle, for which Kara was thankful because the other woman could definitely hurt herself otherwise, but it made her moan almost embarrassingly loud. It made her a little bit eager to make Lena feel good.</p><p>So, Kara curled her fingers around a handful of silky, raven locks and pulled Lena impossibly closer. “That’s not going slow,” she mumbled against Lena’s lips although she made no move to actually stop what was happening. Kara wasn’t crazy, after all.</p><p>The brunette made a sound from the back of her throat that was something between a moan and a whimper, and Kara’s brain almost burned. “We can stop.”</p><p>Yes, like Kara would ever interrupt something so amazing. The world could come crashing down and she wouldn’t stop the most passionate, sensual, desperate kiss she ever experienced. Lex Luthor could come to knock on her door and she wouldn’t care. The only thing that mattered was Lena and the way her tongue swept over her lips, how she sucked her tongue inside her mouth, and the way her hands were so tangled up in her hair that Kara wondered if she would ever be able to free her fingers after they were done.</p><p>Albeit she had no clue what they were even doing.</p><p>All she knew is that she didn’t want to stop.</p><p>Suddenly Lena moved on top of her, readjusting her hips to find a more comfortable position for her knees and hips, and then she had both legs on each side of her right thigh. With the new position, the hero could feel the heat coming from the woman pressing against her thigh.</p><p>Lena was running out of breath, so Kara moved her lips South, nibbling gently at the skin on the way. Her jaw, chin, collarbone, until she found a spot Lena seemed particularly sensitive at. Her pulse point. Rao, the sound Lena made when her teeth gently gazed on the soft skin there almost caused Kara to combust on the spot. The moan vibrated against her mouth, traveling down her spine and made her blood boil, and Kara wanted more.</p><p>“Kara,” Lena breathed suddenly as she placed a hand on the blonde’s shoulder and pushed her away gently.</p><p>Kara wasn’t sure what was going on at first but, once her brain caught up with what was going on, she immediately put some distance between them and looked up at Lena with what had to be big, regretful eyes. “Yes?”</p><p>The younger woman was staring down at her with one arched eyebrow and certainty in her eyes, although her fingers were trembling slightly against Kara’s cheek when she brought her palm to cup her face. “We can stop,” she repeated slowly, putting more emphasis in her words.</p><p>Kara sighed then, closing her eyes and leaning forward until she could rest her forehead against Lena’s collarbone. The woman’s dress had raised on her hips and Kara felt tempted to move her hands down and feel the soft skin of thick thighs, but she held her desire back. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“No, don’t apologize.” Lena coaxed her to look up again by kindly nudging her chin with her fingers until the blonde relented and met her eyes. “We’re not having sex tonight,” she declared and, even if her words were soft, there was no doubt she meant it.</p><p>Kara nodded because she, too, felt that way. Her conversation with Alex helped put some of her fears to the side but she still didn’t feel particularly ready to take that step just yet. And Lena had also been very clear about wanting to take things slow between them and she would always respect the woman’s wishes, no matter what.</p><p>“That said,” Lena spoke again and this time she bit her bottom lip, causing Kara’s heart to speed up. Blue eyes fell to stare at the plump, soft lips trapped by white teeth before she glanced back up, not missing the way Lena smirked at her. “If you want, I’m fine with a little... exploration. ”</p><p>The hero almost choked on her own saliva but managed not to embarrass herself like that. “I’m fine with that too,” she whispered under her breath. “But, Lena, I... I have never...”</p><p>“Hey,” the brunette leaned forward and pressed a sweet kiss right on the tip of Kara’s nose, watching as it scrunched cutely. “We don’t have to do anything. If you don’t want to do anything, we don’t have to. I will understand and I won’t pressure you for something you’re not ready to give. And I’m fine if you’re never ready either, okay? I’m not ready to have sex right now and I’m asking you to wait. I can also wait. And, if you never feel ready, I’m fine with that too.”</p><p>“Lena,” Kara sighed. “I know sex is a big deal for humans. I can’t possibly expect you to deprive yourself of it.”</p><p>“I wouldn’t mind.” Lena held her gaze for long seconds while Kara searched for any lies. She found none, not a doubt, nothing. Kara couldn’t help but believe the woman was saying the truth. “If that’s not something you want, we will figure things out, okay? You just tell me.”</p><p>Kara took a deep breath, her fingers tapping against Lena’s hips nervously, before she nodded. “I’m not ready for sex yet either. I think I will want... that, in the future.”</p><p>“Okay,” the Luthor woman smiled softly at her. “Okay. So, you let me know when or if you change your mind. I will do the same. Open communication.”</p><p>“Open communication,” Kara agreed with a quick chuckle and a tilt of her head. Lena smiled a bit brighter at her and started to unwrap her legs to go back to her seat, but the blonde wasn’t having it. Her hands held the woman tighter to stop her from moving, but still leaving her enough room to do it if she actually wanted to. “I like where you are right now.”</p><p>At that, Lena’s smirk turned sinful, then she leaned down until their lips were brushing but still kept enough distance so they weren’t actually kissing. Her green eyes melted into blue ones and Kara honest to Rao felt like she got stuck in another trance. “What are you going to do about it?”</p><p>Kara almost groaned at that. “How much exploration are you okay with?”</p><p>Lena moaned again, lower this time, and her hips seemed to move on their own accord, moving forward with a sudden move that surprised both of them. There was a small whimpering sound coming from the back of her throat when the heat between her legs brushed against Kara’s covered thigh but she quickly pulled away and closed her eyes. She was biting her bottom lip so hard that Kara wondered if she was going to draw blood.</p><p>So, the blonde raised one hand to touch the red lip with her thumb, gently pulling it out from the hard bite he was suffering with. Lena’s lips fell open when she gasped with the touch and Kara turned her head to press a soft, open-mouthed kiss on her jaw. She couldn’t believe what she was about to say but nothing ever felt so right before, so she was going to trust her instincts for a while. It had lasted for only two seconds, but feeling Lena’s warm center pressed against her leg was easily the best thing she ever felt before.</p><p>“That’s okay, Lena,” she mumbled against the heated skin under her lips. Kara nibbled a bit harder against the soft, pale skin on the curve of her jaw, drawing another moan. “You can grind on me.”</p><p>Kara swallowed hard the lump that was raised in her throat after the words were out but she knew she had done something right because Lena’s hands suddenly let go of her hair and face to grasp at the sofa on each side of her head, her body slumping with the movement. Even so, Lena made sure to keep her lower parts from touching Kara again and the hero frowned. For a second, she wondered if she had misunderstood the signals but then Lena spoke again.</p><p>“God, it’s been so long,” she confessed, completely out of breath.</p><p>Kara didn’t feel like pointing out it had been over two years for her, especially since sex was never that big of a deal for her, but she felt a little sympathy. Instead of answering though, the blonde pushed Lena’s hips down so they were touching again, then tugged at them to urge her to start moving. At first, it didn’t look like she was going to, but then Lena finally moved her hips forward. They aren’t looking at each other anymore and it was hard to keep the position with Lena even closer than before, so Kara dropped her hand again to grab the other woman’s hip – although, her real desire was to grab one of the round globes of her ass. She just wasn’t sure if that would be crossing any boundaries they weren’t ready to cross yet.</p><p>How many boundaries there was left after she felt just how wet Lena was against her, she didn’t know, but there must be some there yet.</p><p>“Is this fine?” Kara asked. Her cheeks had turned a deep shade of red, her chest felt like it was on fire, and she could barely even believe what was happening on her couch right that second. “Do you want to stop?”</p><p>Lena shook her head so fast that it was almost comical. “Fuck, no.”</p><p>The next time she rolled her hips, it was made with much more confidence, as though she had finally found the right pace for them to work with. Kara wasn’t going to complain, she was fine with letting Lena take the lead and show her what she liked. The grinding against her thigh was combined with quick, breathless moans and Kara had to use all her will power not to shove her face right into Lena’s cleavage. It was a good thing she could barely see it with the way Lena’s dress was designed because, despite her name, Kara wasn’t made of steel and she would break.</p><p>Instead, she tilted her head up so she could spread kisses on the brunette’s neck instead. She kissed the hollow of her throat, her pulse point, her jaw, the collarbone, the soft spot where her neck met her shoulder, and just under her earlobe. Kara made sure to alternate the kisses with soft nibbles and occasionally sucked on a spot or another, making sure she wouldn’t be leaving any marks, albeit it was quite complicated to know how much strength she could put in every touch. Her kisses slowly work Lena up until she’s all but riding her thigh and Kara can’t help but moan as well.</p><p>Lena felt so good against her, even between layers of clothes. She didn’t need to look to know there was a wet spot on her pants by then and she could feel the sweat on Lena’s skin starting to form. The woman’s heart was pulsing faster than ever, Kara’s own heart trying to match the rhythm almost desperately. She could feel her stomach turning, squeezing and tightening, her fingers itching to touch something else – Lena or herself, maybe. But she didn’t move. How could she move from a dream?</p><p>Lena’s breath became heavier, she gasped every time Kara found another one of her sweet spots, but her hips never stopped rocking. On the contrary. Her grinding only became faster and faster by the second, until she could barely even manage to keep the movement altogether. Every once in awhile her thigh would brush against Kara’s center and the blonde would jerk her hips and whimper but, other than that, every sound came from the back of the brunette’s throat.</p><p>Then, moved by some sort of divine force, Kara moved her right hand up, her fingers brushing against the soft material of the black dress that had done such a good job of driving her crazy all night until the pad of her thumb touched just beneath Lena’s left breast. She made sure not to full-on touch it because she didn’t have the green light to do it but that seemed to be enough. Lena’s thighs started to shake, her entire body quivering before freezing as she threw her head back in a silent scream, one of her hands moving to grasp at Kara’s shoulder so hard that, if she was human, it would have been a nasty mark in the morning.</p><p>Mesmerized, Kara could only watch – she could see the muscles and tendons being forced on the pale neck, the parted lips formed a perfect ‘o’ shape, furrowed brows, and closed eyes. Then and there, Kara thought while she brought both hands back to the woman’s hips to keep her secure on her lap, she vowed to make that happen again. And again. And again. As long as Lena allowed her to.</p><p>Gulping, the blonde pressed one last kiss underneath Lena’s chin before she nuzzled against her neck, brushing her nose up and down the sweaty skin. “Did you...?”</p><p>She didn’t hear Lena’s chuckle but she felt it against herself when her body moved. Their chest was pressed together and, if Kara wasn’t feeling so damn satisfied with herself in that moment, she might have appreciated the soft mounds pressing against her a little more. Finally, after a couple of minutes where Kara nuzzled against her and Lena slowly slumped her body until she had wrapped the blonde in a hug, the younger woman pressed a kiss on top of Kara’s head.</p><p>“Do you want to...?”</p><p>“No,” Kara didn’t let her finish the question because it was too embarrassing to even think about it. Noticing how it must have sounded, she licked her lips and tried to explain. “I’m not... It’s fine. You don’t have to... I’m fine.”</p><p>“Will you tell me if that changes?”</p><p>“Yes,” Kara promised.</p><p>“And are you okay with what just happened?” Rao, Kara wanted to go up on the roof and scream how happy she truly was. Instead, she nodded against Lena’s neck and contently. “I’m sorry for... doing that. It’s just that it had been a while and,” it was time for Lena to sigh, “and I have been around a very sexy superhero for a few months now.”</p><p>Kara raised her head so fast that she almost forgot to dodge from Lena’s chin in her haste to look at the woman’s face. “What?”</p><p>This time, there was an audible chuckle. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”</p><p>With a wink, Lena decided it was time to dismount her thigh, going back to her place on Kara’s small couch after smoothing down her dress very quickly. Kara tried not to think about how wet Lena was between her thighs, she tried not to take deep breaths or to even notice the musky smell lingering around in the air now, and she definitely wasn’t going to look down at her pants to see the size of the damage. Instead, she cleared her throat.</p><p>“You don’t have to apologize,” Kara said. “I, uh, I wanted that as well, so it’s fine.”</p><p>Lena nodded and a faint blush colored her cheeks when she ducked her head to look down at her fingers. Lena was gorgeous in any way, but Kara had a soft spot for a blushing Lena that was almost too much to bear. “Just remember that we’re both setting the pace here, okay?”</p><p>The blonde was very aware of that, in fact. She had been nervous before, of course, but not anymore. Not after Lena’s words and their little encounter certainly didn’t change things for her. She was still sure she could press the gas pedal or the break at any moment and Lena would respect that as much as she would respect the brunette’s wishes.</p><p>So, battling a very urgent need to tell Lena how much she appreciated her and just how much she felt for the woman, Kara decided to speak about something else before she started rambling again. “You know, my friends and I usually get together once a week to play some board games. It’s very fun, but we’re sort of short on people nowadays. I was wondering if you would like to come over tomorrow and join us. It’s nothing super special, just some nerds playing Monopoly, but...” Fiddling with her glasses, Kara’s blue eyes refused to look straight at Lena while she spoke. “But you could meet them if you’d like.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>“I mean, there won’t be too many people. Just James, J’onn, and a guy that started working with Alex a while ago. His name is Brainy. And you can bring Sam and Ruby. And Liam, of course.” So much for not rambling.</p><p>Lena was smiling at her when she answered. “If your friends agree to receive me, I would love to be meet them.”</p><p>“Really? Okay! Okay, yes. Yes, that’s perfect. Tomorrow then.”</p><p>“After what we just did, are you still nervous about asking me out?” Lena teased but the blonde barely paid it any attention because the woman decided it was a good time to cross her arms and then her breasts just... popped up.</p><p>Kara gulped. “Not about asking you out,” she confessed as she made a conscious effort not to look anywhere below Lena’s chin. “But about meeting my friends? Rao, yes.”</p><p>“Why? Are you afraid I will embarrass you?”</p><p>“Oh, no. I’m afraid they will embarrass me.”</p><p>And, because Kara knew her friends all too well, she just knew it was bound to happen.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kara: Guess what!<br/>Alex: What?<br/>Kara: I can kiss Lena whenever I want now!<br/>Alex: That's great. It only took you, what?, five months?<br/>Kara: Ha-ha, very funny.<br/>Alex: I'm sorry, Kara. I'm happy for you.<br/>Kara: Thanks. Oh, guess another thing!<br/>Alex: Just tell me.<br/>Kara: All I have to do is ask, and she will let me fuck her.<br/>Alex: *slowly dying from the inside, you can see the light escaping her eyes, her soul leaving her body, her heart shattering in a million pieces* I'm happy for you *no emotion, she already died*<br/>Lena: That's true, though</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Playing a different game</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>There it is... Lena's point of view. Finally. Freaking finally.</p><p>Also, I believe I will take a break from posting tomorrow. I need some time to make other things, I have been dedicating myself to this fic for over two months now and I need to sleep like a normal person for once haha. I hope you guys can understand that. I will try to post a new chapter, but don't be expecting it!</p><p>Another chapter, another shout out to the best person ever: my helper</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lena pushed her door open with a sigh and a broad, not at all discreet, smile. She entered her penthouse kicking off her high heels and removing the jacket Kara insisted she borrow so she wouldn’t get cold on the way back. She put the jacket on the coat hanger, but she would deal with the shoes in the morning. At that moment, all she needed was a cup of water and a nice night of sleep.</p><p>Which, apparently, she wouldn’t be able to get.</p><p>“I wasn’t expecting you to be back until tomorrow.”</p><p>Jumping out of her skin, Lena placed a hand against her chest and another one against the wall she had pressed herself against, barely managing to hold back the scream that her very soul wanted to let out. Sam was sitting on a stool in her kitchen, sipping from a water bottle while scrolling down her phone, and Lena vowed she would kick her friend’s ass once her heart stopped beating so damn fast.</p><p>“What the fuck are you doing awake?” She whisper-screamed. “It’s three in the morning!”</p><p>Sam glanced up from her phone at her with both eyebrows raised. “Ask your son and his butt. And what are you doing walking in here at this time?”</p><p>“I live here.”</p><p>Her friend scoffed. “Don’t play dumb with me, Lena. We both know how much we hate when people try it.”</p><p>Lena sighed again, this time a bit less happy and more annoyed, before she pulled another stool to sit on. She knew Sam wouldn’t let her go so easily and she was tired. Her legs still felt a little wobbly after what happened in Kara’s apartment. “How’s Liam?”</p><p>“Great. He drank his bottle and slept like a baby.”</p><p>Lena nodded and snickered. “Makes sense.”</p><p>“Don’t be a smartass either,” Sam tried to hit her with the top of the bottle but missed it by a very large distance. The blue thing land on the floor and Lena arched one eyebrow at her friend. “Ruby took the guest room and I was sleeping on the couch.”</p><p>“Thought you said you weren’t expecting me until morning,” Lena replied almost smugly.</p><p>Sam shrugged. “I wouldn’t just take your bed like that. I have no idea how many times Kara came over.”</p><p>“Samantha,” she warned.</p><p>Her friend chuckled softly and Lena rolled her eyes at her. “So, how was it?”</p><p>How was it? Lena couldn’t find enough words, even with three PhDs and a doctorate, to describe how her date went. It was perfect, from start to finish. Kara was looking so fucking beautiful it wasn’t even fair, they talked so openly to each other, they had fun at the park, Kara confessed to being in love with her, and then... Then there was Kara’s apartment.</p><p>“That good, huh?” Her friend teased with a smirk and Lena forced herself to snap out of her thoughts.</p><p>Lena rolled her eyes again. “Shut up. I’m going to bed. We can talk in the morning.”</p><p>She was already getting up on the step in the hallway when Sam spoke again and she froze on her steps. “When were you going to tell me Kara is Supergirl?”</p><p>“What?” Mind going into overdrive, heart racing, and stiff posture, Lena prayed for anything to happen to take her from that position. She didn’t want to out Kara like that, but she also didn’t want to lie to her best friend who, just like her, had a very high IQ level.</p><p>“It really doesn’t take a genius to figure it out, you know,” her friend didn’t seem upset when she turned around to face her again but Lena knew her well enough to not hope Sam would just drop the subject so easily. “I trust you to make your own decisions, Lena. If you’re willing to go on a date with Supergirl, I believe you have considered all the pros and cons. That said, I will give her a piece of her mind next time I see her.”</p><p>That reminded her of something. “We’re both invited for Games Night tomorrow. Or, well, later tonight. The kids as well.”</p><p>Sam nodded. “Yes, Alex told me already. She will have to explain to me why she thought putting glasses on her sister would help hide her identity.”</p><p>Lena tried not to sigh, fidget with her fingers or slump her shoulders. She wanted to explain to her friend that she didn’t go on a date with Supergirl but it was too late for them to have that conversation. She could barely stay awake for longer and Sam also looked like she was about to pass out with the water bottle still in her hands, so she decided that could wait until morning. “How did you find out?”</p><p>Her friend arched one eyebrow. “I saw the puppy in Liam’s bedroom. It made me put things in a different light. Then I tried to remember where you said you met Kara and, when I couldn’t think of it, I just knew.”</p><p>Lena took a deep breath before nodding slowly. “I will tell you about the date after I wake up, okay?”</p><p>Sam nodded, taking a sip of her water. “Please, make yourself at home.”</p><p>“Funny,” the younger woman rolled her eyes, fondly this time, and slid off the stool. “Go to sleep, Samantha.”</p><p>Lena walked first to Liam's bedroom. She pushed the door open gently as to not wake the baby up and walked towards the crib to peek inside at the baby boy sleeping soundly with a thumb in his mouth. Smiling to herself, Lena reached out to remove the finger from between his lips, noticing how he didn't even move when she did so. Then, because she had missed him so much, Lena caressed his  tuft of hair and his left cheek for a few seconds using the back of her fingers.</p><p>"I'm sorry I couldn't take you with me today, my prince," she whispered as quietly as she could, although she knew the baby's nightly routine wouldn’t be disturbed by her voice any time soon. "I found someone who can love us, baby boy." At that, Liam sighed deeply, almost like he could hear her after all. Lena just smiled broadly at him. "And I think we both already love her back, huh?"</p><p>It has been almost five months since Liam was born, four months and three weeks, in fact. Lena sometimes still wondered if she was dreaming. Maybe her family finally managed to get her and she was now in a coma, imagining everything. Being a mother, as she had told earlier that night, was never in her plans. Yet, every time she looked at Liam, she felt that overwhelming feeling that made her heart ache and her chest swell to accommodate her love.</p><p>Unbelievable how a teeny tiny baby managed to draw so many emotions from her. From the moment she cried when she found out she was pregnant, to the first time she held him in her arms, until now, when she was able to look down at his crib and see him sleeping like a rock. Something shifted inside her the moment Liam came into her life, even as a bubble inside her womb, and Lena wouldn’t change a moment of it.</p><p>She had to remember though, that she wasn't the first one to hold him. Not counting the doctors and nurses, the first person who ever held a newborn Liam in her arms was Kara. Well, Supergirl. Supergirl, Christ! Even after all those months, it was still insane to think about the hero holding the screaming baby in her arms like he was made of glass.</p><p>It was hard sometimes to associate the image of Supergirl - strong, confident, a force of nature - with Kara - innocent, sweet, funny, lovely. Lena had a hard time believing that Kara, the same Kara who took her to the park and wasn't brave enough to give her the flowers she clearly bought her, was the same person who walked out of the hospital after saying she would be right back. She still didn't blame her for it, of course, because Lena had a very strong belief that it wasn't Supergirl's job to be her nanny, but it was almost impossible to believe Kara would have done the same. Although she clearly did.</p><p>And, God, that was some crazy shit, wasn't it?</p><p>Out of the blue, after she was heading back from a meeting with her newly formed board, her water broke. It was such perfect timing that she thought the Universe was mocking her for a second because she parked her car in front of her building and all shit went down. Not literally, thankfully. And then Supergirl saved and took her to the hospital. Supergirl, who held her newborn baby. Supergirl, who disappeared from the hospital shortly after.</p><p>Sam certainly thought so. She knew her friend was going to give Kara a hard time now that she knew the woman was also the blonde superhero who left her alone in her hospital bed. Not alone because she made sure Lena had someone there to take care of her, but Sam had a different way of seeing things. She knew, better than anyone else, how hard it was for Lena to trust people and Sam wouldn’t brush it to the side as easily as Lena herself had.</p><p>Perhaps because her friend didn't have the whole story. Lena had told her about Supergirl helping her out a couple of times but she never said anything about the woman stopping by every night. The image Sam had was of someone who gave her friend some hope, then fled as fast as she could and came back once she felt like it. Lena, on the other hand, knew pretty well that Kara never really left.</p><p>As weird as it sounded.</p><p>Sometimes she wondered if she should have done something the first time she saw Supergirl hovering on her roof after triggering the sensors spread all around her penthouse. What, exactly, she didn’t know. But something. The thing is - and Lena, who already didn't have a very good relationship with her own feelings, still didn’t fully understand what this thing is - that Lena couldn't send Supergirl away.</p><p>At first, she thought she felt like she owed her something for being saved. Supergirl took her to the hospital when she needed, and she did it with so much care that Lena barely even felt the flight, so maybe Lena should allow her to perch on her rooftop if she wanted. Besides, it wasn't exclusively <em>her</em> rooftop. It was the building rooftop, a building where 68 other people lived, not only her.</p><p>Then, Lena started to think her mind was playing tricks at her. Maybe she felt attached to the hero because she was saved by her. Some kind of Prince Charming Syndrome. It would certainly explain why she would sit up at night in her bed and hold her tablet close to her face to watch the hero doing literally nothing.</p><p>When the alarms went off announcing that someone had invaded her penthouse, for a second, a brief second, Lena thought she had nothing to fear because Supergirl was just outside. Their families might have their problems but she wouldn’t allow someone to attack Lena when she could do something about it. However, as soon as Lena picked up the tablet to look at the images, her heart sank. Supergirl wouldn’t save her because Supergirl was the one who invaded her place. A thousand things crossed her mind in that second and none of them were any good, so Lena jumped from her bed and ran down the hall, as though as she could have stopped the alien in case the woman decided to take off with the baby in her arms.</p><p>But she wasn't taking him away. She was rocking him back to sleep, as crazy as that sounded.</p><p>From that day on, Lena was sure that it wasn't a sense of duty or some sort of syndrome. She was fascinated and, to be completely honest, attracted. Perhaps her deep wish of not being alone anymore played a big part in it as well, but Lena decided she wanted to see what the fuck was going on.</p><p>Somewhere along the way, between wondering what the hell was happening, opening the door for Supergirl, and falling into a weird pattern that no one would be able to understand and accept, Lena realized that's exactly what she wanted. She noticed it, fully acknowledged the situation, when Supergirl shyly asked her if she could learn how to change Liam's diaper. Supergirl didn't have to rock him to sleep and she surely also didn’t need to learn how to change diapers, but there she was. Like a heavy rock that wouldn’t move out of the way if you tried to push.</p><p>Lena had two options. She could push and, despite her strength, the Luthor knew that the hero would budge. Or she could accept that the rock didn’t wish to cause any harm.</p><p>She knew she made the right decision when she opened her front door and came face to face with Kara and not Supergirl. As much as it terrified her, as scared as she was, Lena allowed someone else into her life almost with her eyes closed. She was hyper-aware of the risks and, for the first time in her life, she decided the pros were worth it.</p><p>Lena didn’t fall in love with Supergirl, neither did she fall in love with Kara. She liked to think of it a bit differently. No, she didn’t fall in love. She landed. Delicately. Lena chose to let her in and Lena loved every facade she met along the way. After seeing how eager Kara was to take care of Liam, and of her as well, it was easy for her to let her feelings bloom. She just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly but, every time she looked at Kara, she could understand.</p><p>It was easy to see how impossible it was not to love someone who was the personification of happiness. Lena’s happiness, at the very least.</p><p>Hopefully, Liam’s as well, she thought while leaning down to press a gentle kiss on his head. When Lena fell in her bed that night, she dreamed about a fire escape and many shared kisses after class.</p><p>She woke up with the sound of Liam crying after what felt like two minutes but, as she noticed when she rolled over to glance at the clock, she had managed to sleep throughhis first feeding of the day.</p><p>“Shit,” she groaned while kicking her legs out of the bed and getting up in a flash. Lena had never missed anything on their very tight schedule – made mostly to keep her sane while locked inside her house taking care of a newborn baby. “Shit, shit, shit.”</p><p>“We got this!” Sam shouted from somewhere inside the penthouse. Lena assumed it was Liam’s bedroom but that didn’t make her feel any better for neglecting her son.</p><p>She made a quick run to the bathroom before exiting her bedroom to go find the others. Ruby was in the hallway, leaning against the wall while watching something on her tablet, and Lena brushed a hand over the girl’s shoulder when she passed her. The kid looked up and smiled at her, but she didn’t remove the earbuds, so Lena turned around to go inside the other room to rescue her friend from the crying baby.</p><p>“Hey, my dear,” Lena chanted softly while walking towards Sam and taking the boy into her arms. Her friend smiled at her and took a step back to give her some space. “What got you so upset, my brilliant boy?” she asked with her lips pressed against the baby’s head before she took a deep breath in, allowing his unique smell to invade her nostrils and calm her down, despite his wailings.</p><p>“He’s refusing the bottle,” Sam explained after putting said baby bottle down on his changing table.</p><p>“Oh,” Lena shushed him gently. “That’s fine, Sam. He’s not used to drinking only from his bottle yet. Guess he just missed his mother.”</p><p>Her friend gave her a little smile before raising a hand to squeeze her shoulder. “I made us something to eat. We will wait for you in the kitchen.”</p><p>She only nodded, still bouncing the baby in her arms, and waited until mother and daughter had left before she sat in the comfortable armchair by the corner. She was wearing the nightgown she slipped on before going to bed the night before and Liam’s hands had already found somewhere to grab at it with his little fingers. Little, but surprisingly strong. Lena gently coaxed him to let go of the silky material, holding him in one of her arms, before she shrugged off the strap from her right shoulder.</p><p>“Here we go,” she whispered while guiding his mouth to wrap around her nipple so he could start feeding. Immediately, Liam stopped crying, sighing almost contently. Lena also sighed, although hers carried a little of her discomfort. Breastfeeding wasn’t the piece of cake people tried to make it look, for sure.</p><p>While he suckled, Lena decided to update him on the latest developments. “I saw Kara last night, baby. She asked me about you,” she smiled to herself at that. “She wants to take us for another walk today. What do you say?” Glancing down at the baby the best she could in the position they were in, Lena beamed. “I may have promised her ice cream too.”</p><p>Green eyes suddenly opened to stare back at her like he was saying “what about me?” and Lena couldn’t help but chuckle. “No ice cream for you.” If Lena ever saw a glare, the one she was receiving from her own son was it. “But I’m pretty sure Kara will happily walk around with you in her arms all day.” That soothed him. Liam sighed happily again, closed his eyes, and kept eating his breakfast. Lena laughed again. “Yes, I would be pretty content about it as well.”</p><p>Lena would happily spend all day in Kara’s arms too, so she could understand him. And Liam was definitely her son. As smitten with Kara as herself.</p><p>Once fed and changed, Liam was fine with being left on his playmat while Lena joined the other two people in the kitchen. Ruby was already eating a gigantic bowl of cereal that Lena didn’t even know she had, and Sam was quietly drinking her coffee while listening to her daughter rambling about whatever she was addicted to at the moment. Lena sat down in a chair in front of her friend and accepted the mug Sam slid to her direction.</p><p>“It’s decaf.”</p><p>“I hate decaf.”</p><p>“Too bad,” Sam shrugged, although she glanced up quickly to shot her a smile.</p><p>Lena rolled her eyes but didn’t have time to reply before Ruby jumped in. “Aunt Lena, we’re going to search for a place today!”</p><p>Another good thing happening in her life right now. She was going to have her best friend and her goddaughter living in the same city as her again. At least for a while, until she was ready to go back to work. However, Lena had her suspicions that Sam wasn’t going back to Metropolis anytime soon, not that she was going to complain.</p><p>“Only if you make the bed.” The words were barely out of Sam’s mouth before Ruby jumped from her chair to run and accomplish her task. Sam watched her go while shaking her head. “Not even in other people’s homes.”</p><p>Lena raised her eyebrows with a smirk. “Give the kid a break.”</p><p>Instead of keeping their easy banter like Lena was expecting, Sam slowly put her mug down and tilted her head to stare at the other woman with pursed lips and furrowed brows. Lena knew her friend for long enough to know she wasn’t going to like what was coming next.</p><p>“You never told me about your date with Supergirl.”</p><p>Lena sighed. “Kara,” she corrected. “I went on a date with Kara.”</p><p>“One and the same, right?”</p><p>“Sam, please.” The younger brunette rolled her eyes and leaned over the table with her elbows. “What do you want me to say?”</p><p>Sam paused, taking a deep breath, before she shrugged. “I’m just wondering how that will work. If your mother finds out...”</p><p>“Lillian can go straight to Hell, for all I care,” Lena scoffed. “She has nothing to do with this.”</p><p>“Hey, I’m not telling what you can or can’t do,” her friend was fast to defend herself, raising both hands in the air for a few seconds. “As I said before, I trust you to make your own choices. I just can’t help but worry a little bit. You’re my best friend, Liam is my godson, I love you both, and I want you two to be happy. I can see Kara makes you happy but...” Sam sighed. “She has a dangerous line of work, you know.”</p><p>“So does Alex.”</p><p>“Okay, we’re not going to bring Alex into this,” her friend huffed. “Nothing happened between us. You and Kara, on the other hand...”</p><p>“Sam,” Lena’s tongue darted out to lick her bottom lip. “I would love to talk with my best friend about the best date I ever had in my life. Nothing else.”</p><p>To her credit, Sam looked at least a little ashamed to bring up the subject of Kara’s secret identity, Lena’s mother, and her personal fears instead of allowing her friend to gush out about her date. Finally, the taller brunette smiled and motioned for Lena to talk. “I’m sorry. How was it? Did you shove your tongues inside each other’s throats?”</p><p>“We did, actually.” Lena grinned widely, not looking even slightly embarrassed by her confession. “And a little more.”</p><p>“You’re a savage.”</p><p>“On the contrary, my friend,” she winked. “I could have jumped her bones already.”</p><p>“You should have. You look at her like she’s a four-course meal,” Sam smirked, one of her eyebrows arching.</p><p>“She probably is,” the Luthor shrugged. “But we both decided to take things slow, so that’s what we’re going to do.”</p><p>“I doubt you have enough will power to take things slow,” her friend mocked and Lena was reminded, once again, why she had befriended Samantha Arias. There weren’t many people around who would banter with a Luthor with no fear and without being disrespectful. Lena loved that about her friend.</p><p>“Well, I will have to find it. She’s too important to me, I refuse to do anything to ruin things.”</p><p>Sam seemed impressed for a second. “Oh, really?”</p><p>Glancing around to make sure they were the only ones around – although they were inside her penthouse and not in a public space – Lena then leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Have you ever met someone and it became clear that you two belong together somehow?” she asked. “Either as friends or lovers, you just work together. That’s how I feel about Kara. We met in the strangest circumstances, and I don’t know if that makes me believe in fate, or destiny, or luck, or just the way Universe works sometimes, but it certainly makes me believe in <em>something</em>. I don’t know, Sam, I can’t find the right words to describe this.” Then, she chuckled lowly from the back of her throat. “You should hear her talking, she has a better way with words than me.”</p><p>“Sum this up for me.”</p><p>First, Lena took a few seconds to ponder the words inside her head. She found it fascinating how Kara could just voice her feelings so easily, as though as she held them on her sleeve instead of keeping them protected around a fortified castle like herself. Lena wished she could do the same but, in reality, she needed more time to come up with a way to voice the turmoil of feelings running all over her chest.</p><p>Finally, she inhaled deeply. “I never thought it was possible to love someone so deeply in such a short time. Then I met her and I was proved wrong.”</p><p>“Did you tell her that?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Sam smiled at like she knew a secret no one else knew. “And what are you waiting for?”</p><p>Apparently, she was only waiting for Kara to knock on her door after lunch because, as soon as the doorman rang to let her know the blonde was going up, Lena opened the door and waited for her with a large smile. When the elevator opened and Kara walked out, Lena wasted no time before wrapping her in a tight hug.</p><p>“Hey,” the blonde chuckled against her ear, hugging her back so hard that Lena almost lost her breath. “Guess someone missed me.”</p><p>“Don’t be smug about it,” Lena replied with a huff, even though her smile was big enough to make her cheeks hurt. She pulled away to press a messy kiss on Kara’s pink lips. “But yes.”</p><p>The blonde beamed at her as though Lena had just promised her the Sun, kissed her back, before nuzzling against her hair. “I missed you too.” She put some space between them suddenly, almost like she had just remembered something and Lena stared back at her with one quirked eyebrow. “Do you know who else I missed?”</p><p>Before Lena could answer – not that she thought Kara was actually expecting an answer – Kara brushed past her into the apartment. The shorter woman followed her closely behind, watching as the blonde easily located Liam on his playmat. She scooped him so gently that the boy barely even noticed he was being lifted from the ground, then she pressed him against her chest and hugged Liam like he was the most precious thing she ever held in her arms.</p><p>Lena had been dealing with a lot of emotions since she met Kara, but fighting tears every time she saw how Kara was with her son had become almost second nature to her. There was something about the way the blonde loved Liam that made Lena’s heart feel lighter and the tears were a natural reaction.</p><p>“I’m sure he missed you too,” Lena commented after a while. “And he might love your hugs more than he loves me.”</p><p>Kara looked back at her with a grin before pressing a soft kiss on top of the baby’s head. “No need to be jealous, right, Liam? I have hugs for everyone.”</p><p>Indeed, she did, Lena noticed while they walked through the park with no destination in mind. Kara was holding Liam in her left arm and she had her right arm wrapped around Lena’s waist, talking animatedly and totally ignoring the way other people stared at them. And there, secure in Kara’s arms, Lena couldn’t bring herself to care about that either.</p><p>They didn’t go far, but Kara made sure she had her promised ice cream before they returned to Lena’s building. Kara left shortly after to make sure her apartment was ready for game night and to buy some snacks, but not before making Lena promise she would be there.</p><p>“You have to see me kicking Alex’s ass,” she had said.</p><p>Lena had a very good idea of how competitive the Danvers sisters could be, so that would certainly be interesting to witness. After making her promise and sealing it with a kiss, Lena watched her go while biting her bottom lip in a weak attempt to stop smiling like an idiot. When she turned, Liam was staring at her like he could read her soul.</p><p>“Don’t give me that look,” she said. “And you need to take a bath. We’re going to meet some new friends today.”</p><p>Spending time with newfound friends was not something she ever thought would happen to her. Being a Luthor and all, Lena was used to having people keeping a safe distance from her or, at the very least, approaching her with not so nice intentions in their mind. When Lionel was still alive, before his drinking problem got the best of him, he used to set down with her and tell tales about his business, about his social partners, about his company. A little weird subject to speak with a six years old about but, thinking back, those are some of Lena's favorite memories. She learned a lot from him, especially about trusting people.</p><p>Just like her, Lionel Luthor had a very strict rule about who was allowed into his life. It still shocked her that Lionel would even consider adopting another child knowing how he was like, how closed he was to people outside the family. But that was the biggest difference between them. Lionel trusted his family. Maybe he shouldn't have, he certainly shouldn't have put so much faith into Lex, but he firmly believed that you were safe inside your own family.</p><p>Lena never had that luxury. Maybe she had before her birth mother died, although she was too young to remember that, or maybe it only started to falter once Lionel stopped spending so much time with her in order to drink himself to death every night. Either way, Lena grew up not trusting anyone but herself.</p><p>She trusted Lex for a while before he also turned his back at her. Then she moved to a boarding school, met new people that were actually her age and weren't attached to their parents' hips anymore, but things hardly changed for her. People still eyed her differently. They knew about Lionel's schemes, and, later on, after Lex assumed their father's chair and turned the company around to make genocidal weapons, it only got worse. There were a few who wouldn't back away from her, who would, in fact, try to forge a relationship and those were the ones Lena avoided the most. Whoever agreed with her family's way of thinking weren't good people and she was aware of that from a very young age.</p><p>Then she went to University and met Sam. A solo mom who was battling her way through college while balancing a young child and a part time job to sustain said child because her own parents had disowned her. Lena had heard the name Arias before, her father may have mentioned it at some point during their one-sided conversations, but Lena never met any of them until she literally stumbled upon a running Samantha after class. Ruby's school was calling to let her know she was sick and Sam - no car, no money and no support - managed to pick her daughter up, take her to the doctor, keep her fed, medicated and, well, alive, and still got one of the best scores on the test they had later that week. That's when she decided that she wouldn't be like her family. Lena wouldn't turn her eyes to the side, pretend she wasn't seeing a problem and let someone else deal with it.</p><p>If she could help, she was going to.</p><p>The next Monday, she handed all her notes to Sam without a word or explanation, turned around and left. And then, when Sam tracked her down in the library during lunch break, they started the first real friendship Lena ever had. Sam was furious, of course, because she didn't need anyone's pity, thank you very much. But then Lena said she wasn't sharing her notes because she thought Sam was worth of pity, but because she liked to share acknowledgment with smart people and, between everyone in their class, they were probably the smartest ones.</p><p>So, Sam decided they were going to be best friends from that day on. A month later, they met Jack because of a project and, well, he became Lena's second friend.</p><p>He wasn't like Sam, not really. It wasn't easy talking to him, he looked at her like she was something straight from a freak show sometimes and he was enervating when he wanted to be. He would poke and push and make her mad just because he knew how. And Lena had no idea how any of this made her fall in love with him. But they fell into a tentative relationship during college, on and off, more off than on. They broke up when she left for Oxford, then got back together when she came back to Metropolis, and then they committed the biggest mistake: mix work into an already fragile relationship.</p><p>They fought like crazy people after Jack offered to help her in one of her projects. Lena knew the relationship was over the second they agreed to work together. It could never work between two people who think so differently from each other. Jack, who liked to push her bottoms and rolled his eyes when she was nervous about something; and Lena, who made fun of his hair and didn't make a single effort to learn about the things he liked.</p><p>At the end, when Lena showed him a pregnancy test and he just picked up his things and left, she wasn't surprised. She knew that's what he was going to do the moment the doctor told her the result. They were the same age, working on the same project, with almost the same intellect, and Jack still wasn't ready to commit to anything in his life that wasn't his work. Lena could understand him because her work was also her life. The difference is that she couldn't pick up her things and leave because, quite literally, the problem would go with her.</p><p>Although, now when she looks at Liam's face, she hates herself for ever thinking he was a problem. A minor mishap, perhaps. A delay in her meticulous planning, but nothing she couldn't work with. Just reorganize things and go from there.</p><p>That's how she ended up in National City, eight months pregnant, knowing no one but herself, about to deliver a baby and re-open a company that was so low in the groud with her rating that the devil himself was running it for the meanwhile. In the short month she had before Liam's due date, Lena made the best of her time. She talked with investors, she hired people, she negotiated equipment, she got a new location, she approved a new logo, she hired lawyers and built up a board. And then she put everyone to work while she grew a human being inside her because, once her maternity leave was over, she would run her family's company like a freaking Goddess.</p><p>Maybe a little overboard, but the pregnancy hormones were doing a lot of speaking for her.</p><p>In the nine months she carried Liam - 39 weeks to be more precise - it never occurred to her that she was about to be a mother. Well, she knew it, of course, but it hadn't dawned on her yet that she would be responsible for a teeny tiny human being who would depend on her for, at the very least, eighteen years. That triggered a minor panic attack that stopped her from getting help on time and the next thing she knew Supergirl was standing by her side.</p><p>Lena simply never imagined all these events would soon lead her to having a game night of all things with bunch of people she had never met, but there they were.</p><p>Sam and Brainy, a tech guy Lena had just met, were discussing what was the best operating system ever invented while sipping their flavored waters every once in a while. Meanwhile, James, who Lena learned also worked at CatCo, was sitting on a chair in front of the couch, his back turned to the TV, looking around like he had no idea how to be around a baby since Liam seemed to take a liking to him and was now looking up at him from his playmat like he was mesmerized by the tall man. Kara was pulled into a soccer match on the videogame Ruby saw as soon as she walked in, the kid hadn’t even pouted too much at her before the blonde agreed they could play some while eating their pizza and before they pulled out the other games so everyone could participate.</p><p>Lena, on the other hand and despite her own disbelief about the entire scene unfolding right in front of her eyes, was sitting on a comfortable loveseat that Kara had pointed out for her before darting off, talking with Alex and J'onn, who were sitting in the small couch – that made Lena smirk when she saw it again, remembering the last time they used it.</p><p>Lena was listening with a distinguished grin while Alex told them, for the third time, about the time she jumped from a building while firing her guns when she saw someone walking towards her out of the corner of her eyes. It was Ruby, who just stopped right in front of her with both hands on her hips and stared at Lena like she was holding the best secret ever just under her sleeve. She was trying to smile like she belonged to a mob or something, but there was a large smudge of chocolate around the right side of her mouth from the chocolate she kept sneaking from Kara’s kitchen. Lena uncrossed her legs, because there was no reason for her to put her defenses up around her goddaughter, and lowered her drink by resting her forearm on her thigh.</p><p>"I have a message for you," the girl declared, her voice loud and proud - Kara's apartment wasn't so big so she was definitely putting on a show. A second later, she started to bounce on her heels as though she was too excited to keep still for too long.</p><p>"What is it?" Lena asked, deciding to entertain whatever the girl was playing.</p><p>"My friend has a crush on you."</p><p>That was probably the last thing she was expecting to hear, in all honesty. Suddenly she was pulled back to boarding school, to giggling girls and overly embarrassed boys, with a lonely raven-haired girl watching everything from the corner with a book bigger than her head in hands. It wasn't a bad memory, but it also wasn't something she liked to remember either.</p><p>Lena wasn't aware that she had started to frown until she looked over the kid's shoulder to where she was pointing with her thumb and spotted Kara. The woman was trying too hard to look like she wasn't paying attention, with a cup of juice in her mouth like she was slowly drinking from it although Lena was very aware that she hated grape juice. One of her hands was resting on the videogame control, her left foot was resting on top of her right one, and she was trying to look like she was paying attention to whatever James was telling her now that she seemed to want to entertain a conversation with him, despite the weird angle he had to turn his body. Lena could see the way her eyes moved towards her at every couple of seconds though, and not even the glass could hide the smirk in display on her pink lips.</p><p>It melted her immediately, like an ice cube thrown in hot water.</p><p>"Is that so?" Lena asked in a playful voice as she agonizingly, slowly tore her eyes away from the blonde beauty to look back at the girl she had known since she barely reached Lena's knees.</p><p>Ruby nodded. "She wants to know if you want to meet her after school."</p><p>Lena could have laughed. She could hear Sam laughing behind her as well, but she held it like a champ - because Ruby was being serious and Kara was the best girlfriend in the entire world. So Lena leaned until she was face to face with the girl and lowered her voice like she was about to tell her a secret.</p><p>"You can tell your friend that she won't know the answer unless she comes to talk to me in person."</p><p>Ruby seemed confused for a second. She looked over her shoulder at Kara like she was saying 'what now?' and the blonde did nothing to help her because she was too busy pretending she had nothing to do with that - by pulling the collar of her sweater up to hide her face and looking like she had everything to do with that.</p><p>"Wait here!" Ruby yelled before running away the same way she was running to the kitchen to steal chocolate from Kara's supply a minute before.</p><p>Lena watched, as did everyone else, as Ruby ran straight to Kara. The blonde came out from her hiding spot and tilted her head to allow her to whisper something into her ear. Even if everyone knew that <em>she</em> knew everything that the kid was about to tell her, Kara pretended to be shocked and nervous when she straightened her body once he was done. She smoothed down her sweater with her free hand, ran a hand through her hair, and said something to the girl. It was apparently a question about how she looked because Ruby seemed to consider her words for a second before getting on the tip of her toes to help her with the collar of her polo.</p><p>Lena had no idea how Kara was pulling it off without laughing. She would give her that.</p><p>After Ruby pulled away, the blonde gave her a thumbs up, that the kid returned and added a nod into it, before she pushed her cup into James's hand unceremoniously. Just like that, Kara jumped to her feet and started making her way towards Lena in a confident walk that would let anyone jealous. Lena only realized how largely she was smiling when the image of her girlfriend became a little blurred behind her half-closed eyes.</p><p>When she stopped right in front of Lena's chair, Kara cleared her throat and placed both hands against her hips. "Hi, Lena."</p><p>Unable to hold it back any longer, Lena used the tip of her boot to hit Kara's shin and rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous," she accused.</p><p>The blonde confidence fell so rapidly that it was almost convincing. Her blue eyes swept around to the other people around like she was truly worried and embarrassed. "So..." Kara started, letting her eyes fall back into Lena's. "I'm not getting a kiss?"</p><p>Smile not faltering even for a second, Lena shook her head. "I don't take messages from a third person, Ms. Danvers."</p><p>"Oh," Kara breathed with wide eyes. "I was going to ask you to... you know," leaning over she rested both hands on the arms of Lena's seat but made no effort to lower her voice like Lena was expecting her to, "go to the fire escape."</p><p>The brunette huffed, certain that she looked completely amazed, smitten and totally in love. None of those things were untrue. Instead of answering - because there was nothing else she could say other than calling her ridiculous again - Lena unwrapped one hand from her drink glass and raised it to rest on the nape of the woman's neck, driving her in for a kiss. It was a smooch at first, noisy and too wet, but Kara dive in for another one and another one, and Lena was happy to oblige.</p><p>"God, you two are sickening to watch."</p><p>Kara, still supporting her weight on the arms of Lena's chair with her palms, turned her head around to stick her tongue out to her sister. "You're going to make me look bad in front of my girlfriend."</p><p>"Too late," Lena teased and arched one eyebrow when Kara looked back at her.</p><p>"Oh, no!" The blonde faked her disappointment perfectly.</p><p>They just smiled at each other for a moment or two, then Kara leaned for another kiss but, just before their lips touched, Lena felt something else touching her lips instead. She opened her eyes and looked down to see that Alex had jumped in to put one of the cushions between their faces.</p><p>"No kisses at my watch!"</p><p>"Alex," Kara groaned while all of their friends laughed at their expense. For the first time in her life, Lena couldn't bring herself to care about it.</p><p>"Kisses gives you cooties!" Alex accused, although her acting skills had nothing on her sister.</p><p>Even so, the blonde gasped. "Lena doesn't have cooties!" Then she looked back at Lena with narrowed eyes. "Do you?"</p><p>"Too late now," Lena shrugged nonchalantly.</p><p>"It's official!" Alex declared as she removed the cushion in an overly dramatic move, putting it over her shoulder like a weapon. "You're both ridiculous."</p><p>"Not my fault I have more game than you," Kara showed her tongue again and this time Alex hit her butt with the cushion, only to have Kara straightening her body and jumping away as it had actually hurt her. "Hey!"</p><p>"You have zero game!"</p><p>"I got a kiss!"</p><p>"She did it for pity!"</p><p>Kara gasped, loud and so convincingly that, if it wasn't for Alex's smile, Lena could have started to worry. "Take it back," she said in a dangerously low tone.</p><p>Her sister, on the other hand, only shook her head. "Nah-Ah."</p><p>"If we let them, they will stay in that banter for five hours," James commented before Kara could say anything else and both sisters shot him a glare that he promptly ignored. Lena noticed that, although the tall, good-looking man wasn't treating her any different from everyone else, he kept glancing at her after every few seconds, something that was making her heart sink deeper and deeper every time. "We should pick up Monopoly or we will never end it tonight."</p><p>"Let's play in pairs," Alex said. "Or we definitely won't finish it tonight. Hey, Ruby, do you want to be on the best team with me or be the bank?"</p><p>The girl thought it over for a couple of seconds before smiling brightly. "I want to play with you!"</p><p>"Sweet," the Agent clapped once before shoving the girl away gently by her shoulders. "Go grab it. It's underneath the videogames."</p><p>Lena couldn't help but turn her eyes to look at her long time best friend and shot her an amused grin, to which Sam rolled her eyes. Ruby had always been a very polite kid but never a social one. It still surprised her that her goddaughter seemed to get along with the older Danvers sister so well. And also Kara. She loved throwing random facts at the blonde just to watch her reaction and it was cute to see the pre-teen running around both Danvers like they were her idols. To be fair, Lena was fine with losing the spot.</p><p>She was shaken from her thoughts when an arm suddenly wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her body to flush against a strong, muscular stomach that most certainly made her thoughts go to dirty, dirty places. Lena looked up at Kara, who was staring down at her with a soft smile that made her interior felt warm and fuzzy.</p><p>"You're with me, right?" The blonde asked.</p><p>Lena didn’t answer right away. Instead, she uncrossed her arms again and looped her finger on Kara's belt to keep her close, although she had her suspicions the other woman wasn’t going anywhere. If she was lucky. "Always," she replied while quirking one eyebrow and curling her lips in a smirk that she hoped, truly hoped, to be sexy. Lena wasn't very sure she managed to do so, but Kara gulped, so maybe she did. Maybe she did master this whole <em>flirting with Kara </em>thing.</p><p>The hero bent down to give her another peck, Lena raising her own head to meet her halfway, before they pulled away when Ruby returned holding an old-looking Monopoly game that could have seen better days. After that, Kara let go of her half hug to sit down on the floor in front of her, resting her back against Lena's legs, and the Luthor's free hand started to itch to run through blonde locks. She could never get enough of touching Kara's hair. It was so soft and it smelled so damn good. How she managed to keep such perfectly done hair when she kept changing the style all day (up and down, ponytail or not) she would never understand.</p><p>In all fairness, there were a lot of things about Kara that Lena could never get enough of. Those stupidly gorgeous blue eyes, so fucking blue. Like the fucking ocean or the freaking sky. Which caused Lena to pause from the start because Lena isn't a fan of any of those things. Even so, every time she looked at Kara's eyes, she felt peace. All the turmoil that usually ate her away was soothed and disappeared. Her heart, usually heavy like a rock, would graciously beat like a free bird for the first time. Her thoughts, always running, planning and making decisions, slowed down and allowed time to breathe.</p><p>Because of a fucking pair of blue eyes.</p><p>Lena felt ridiculous.</p><p>And she didn't even mention all the things about Kara she could never have enough of. And believe her, it was a very long list.</p><p>Instead of running her hand through Kara's hair, Lena brought her drink to her lips and took a sip from it, eyes scanning the room. Sam had paired up with James and they all decided Brainy could join their team since he had never played that game before. J'onn had decided he could be the bank, but he didn't look very interested in the whole thing. Ruby was whispering in Alex's ear like she was the biggest conspiracy theorist that ever existed and Alex, to her credit, was nodding along to every word.</p><p>Alex was a nice person, Lena decided. She treated Sam nicely enough and she was good with Ruby. The woman looked... smitten by the kid, and she looked at her friend like she was about to risk it all for her, even if she still didn’t look totally convinced that Lena herself wasn't going to pull a gun from her pocket. Lena wondered if both Danvers sisters had it in their plans to fall in love with women who already had kids, if they ever even thought about having a family of their own. Life had a funny way of working sometimes, that's for sure.</p><p>They were about to start the game, after a brief banter between the sisters again, when Liam decided he wasn't happy about being left out of the fun. He whimpered, moving around in his carrier, kicking and pushing the air. Before Lena could ever put her cup down to go to him, Kara jumped to her feet and rushed at him, her hair wiggling in the loose bun she had it tied in. Lena felt her heart contract almost painfully when Kara beamed at her son when she started undoing the safety belt to pick him up. Then, her chest exploded with all the types of good feelings Lena wasn't used to feeling when the blonde wrapped her arms gently around his delicate body and took him out of the carrier.</p><p>"You can be a part of our team too," she declared happily at him but Liam kept fussing in her arms. Lena saw the exact moment Kara realized what exactly Liam wanted because the blue eyes widened for a brief second.</p><p>Lena knew people were talking around her, she could hear muffled words and laughs, but she shut it all out to watch Kara walk across her apartment to reach for the fridge, holding the baby against her hip and talking with him non-stop. The blonde opened it, disappeared behind the door for a second, then pushed it close once she found what she was looking for. Kara made a quick stop to grab a small plastic spoon from the drawer before walking back to where Lena was seating.</p><p>"I made some more apple puree. He seemed to like it. We can give him some."</p><p>Lena could only nod, her voice totally stuck on a gigantic lump in the back of her throat. She still couldn't believe Kara learned how to cook, even something as simple as apple puree, only to be able to do something for her son. It was too much to comprehend sometimes.</p><p>Kara flashed her a bright smile before lowering herself to the ground again, legs crossed so Liam could sit on top of them and lay back on her stomach, then she opened the food jar and picked some of the puree using the tip of the spoon. Lena felt tears burning on the back of her eyes when Liam opened his little mouth to accept the offered food and she would blame the remains of the pregnancy hormones. Unable to hold back anymore, her hand darted until she could run her nails on the back of the hero's neck, watching as small goosebumps rose on the slightly sunbathed skin.</p><p>Kara turned her head to look back at her, offering another smile, and Lena wondered if she would ever be able to decide if she liked blue eyes or pink lips the most.</p><p>Most likely not. Albeit it wouldn’t be the first time Lena wouldn’t be able to make up her mind about something.</p><p>"We're going to beat your asses, losers!" Alex declared while Ruby threw the dices a second later and then Lena's competitive side made an appearance. She could always feel bad for making her goddaughter lose later, but Lena loved winning too much.</p><p>They did, in fact, win, although Ruby wasn't a sore loser. Probably because she lost interest in the game ten minutes after she finally figure out that Brainy was an alien and decided to pull the poor man into an interrogation. While walking to the door, Alex kept complaining that she only lost because her teammate gave up on her, but Lena wasn't letting herself get fooled by it. Kara and herself made a great team, baby Liam being passed between their laps or not.</p><p>J'onn was the first one to leave, followed by James, who offered Brainy a ride. Then Sam offered to share a cab with Alex since her hotel was close to the Agent's apartment and Ruby left while talking non-stop about how 'cool Dox is'.</p><p>That left only the three of them inside the small studio apartment and Lena soon figured out she didn't mind, at all. However, and that was something she knew she would end up facing when she decided to leave the house with a baby, Liam was hinting that he would need a change of his diaper soon and his bedtime was approaching way faster than Lena would like.</p><p>"I should go as well," Lena said, pushing her hands inside her back pockets while watching Kara collecting the pieces of the board game. At some point during the game, Kara noticed she shivered despite the warm air of the night, and the blonde rushed to grab her something warmer to wear. Lena was now wearing Kara’s gray National City University’s sweater and she had no real intention of giving it back. "It's almost bedtime."</p><p>"I wish I had a room for him," the blonde commented with a sigh and crouched on the floor to put the box away before getting up to pick up the dirty cups. "I would love it if you could stay for a while longer but I can see Liam is about to pass out. I will take you home."</p><p>"You don't have to," Lena protested.</p><p>"Please, I insist.” Kara was gone in a flash, tidying her apartment in no time, and then stopping right in front of Lena with a broad smile. “I will feel much better if you don't have to take a cab all by yourself this late at night. I will go with you and then I will fly home. It's fine."</p><p>"You don't have to fly back,” the younger woman argued back. “You can sleepover."</p><p>Kara’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline but her smile didn’t falter. “Are you sure?”</p><p>Lena allowed one side of her lips to raise in a grin before she took one step forward to touch the woman’s shoulder. She brushed a few blonde hairs that had fallen on the woman’s sweater, then glanced up. “Do you need to pack anything?”</p><p>Kara didn’t need to pack anything. All she did was pick up Liam’s carrier, her wallet and cellphone, turned off the lights of her studio apartment and headed out while holding Lena’s hand in hers. It reminded Lena of when she first got there for Games Night. She wasn’t brave enough to drive, not with Liam in the car with her because that was just a Hell of a huge responsibility, so she called for a cab and texted Kara when she got there. The blonde went down the stairs to meet her so she could help take Liam upstairs since the elevator wasn’t working. Just like that time, Kara had held her hand gently with one hand and Liam’s carrier with the other, chatting happily on the way like she wasn’t giving Lena everything she ever dreamed of.</p><p>The ride to Lena’s apartment was fast and they were walking off the elevator and inside her penthouse in no time. “I will change Liam and then take a shower, but feel free to do what you please.”</p><p>“I can change him,” Kara prompted quickly before Lena could take the baby away. “You go take your shower.”</p><p>“I never thought I would see the day you offered to change a diaper,” Lena teased lightly, even though she was already kicking off her shoes and sliding off her jacket so she could get ready for her very deserved shower.</p><p>The blonde chuckled. “I can hold my breath for enough time.”</p><p>“My hero,” she rolled her eyes, but her chest was, once again, exploding with feelings, most of those she couldn’t even identify. Kara did this to her. Made her feel things she didn’t even know she could feel. Things she didn’t even know what were.</p><p>After making sure Kara wasn’t lying about changing the boy, Lena walked to her room, leaving the door only slightly closed, before she went to her too large walk-in closet to pick up her clothes. Since she gave birth, Lena barely had time to do anything for herself. Showering was one of those things she had to learn how to jump in and out in less than five minutes because she couldn’t leave the baby alone for too long and she couldn’t bring the baby monitor with her under the water. She hadn’t used the ridiculously large bathtub by herself for almost five months now.</p><p>Of course, Kara made things easier by showing up every night but Lena still felt weird for making the hero take care of her son when she had an entire city to look after. So, Lena accepted her presence, she would allow the hero to hold her son and soothe him to sleep, but she was always around, keeping an eye out. Things changed after Kara started to show up but Lena still hadn’t treated herself with a warm bubble bath, something she so desperately needed.</p><p>When she came back, Liam was already sleeping soundly inside his crib, so Lena reached out for Kara’s hand and tugged her towards her bedroom. “Come on. I have a large bed we can share.”</p><p>“Lena...”</p><p>“No sexy times, I promise,” Lena winked at her. “I just want you to hold me. You said you have hugs for everyone.”</p><p>“I didn’t take you for a cuddler,” Kara replied, following her down the hall.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sam: Do you remember the first time you told me about Kara?<br/>Lena: Not at all.<br/>Sam: I remember like it was yesterday.<br/>Lena: I have no idea what you're talking about.<br/>Kara: Please, tell!<br/>Sam: She said, and I quote, "I think I just met my future wife. Also, I'm out of toilet paper".<br/>Kara: ... Did you get her the toilet paper?<br/>Sam: Are you freaking serious right now?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Broken doors</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I would like to thank everybody who understood my need for a short break! Some of you were very kind and I appreciate it. I can't say I will go back to post every day, but I promise I will try to do it at least every couple of days. Work is taking a lot from me right now.</p><p>This chapter: we're still with Lena in this and we have some more sexy times, so maybe you can all forgive me ;). Also, we have a feat of Melissa's beautiful voice. If you have never heard her version of "Moon River", you should all go listen to it.</p><p>My dear helper, you're a dear</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lena woke up at some point in the middle of the night when her bladder decided that was the best time to work. She sighed while stretching her numb limbs before kicking her legs off the bed. It was only when her bare feet touched the soft carpet that she remembered she wasn’t supposed to be alone in her stupidly large bed. Lena glanced over her shoulder but, just like she had already realized, the other side of the bed wasn’t occupied. Panic started to rise deep in her guts, her heart falling like a rock in the pit her stomach.</p><p>She was ready to start questioning the last four months of her life when she heard a little commotion coming from the baby monitor sitting on her nightstand. Her brain was still a little foggy with sleep so it took her a fair time to understand what that even was and she reached out to grab the baby monitor to take a look. A sweet, melodic voice was coming from the small device, a voice that Lena had certainly heard before but never like that. The black and white image on the small screen gave her a good view of Liam’s room, but the image was still too grainy.</p><p>Getting up, Lena held the baby monitor close to her face so she could keep watching it, although she lowered the volume as she got closer and closer to the baby’s room so she could hear the voice straight from its source. The door was ajar and the light inside wasn’t on, but the brunette realized the curtains were pulled back when she gently pushed the door open all the way. She leaned against the doorframe, crossed her arms, the baby monitor getting trapped under her arm, crossed her legs in a four shape, her right leg bent and her feet pressed against her left knee, and her head tilted so she could watch the scene unfold.</p><p>Weirdly, it reminded her of the first time she saw Supergirl trying to put Liam back to sleep. This time though it wasn’t National City’s resident hero who was standing in the middle of the room. It was Kara, wearing a pair of Lena’s sweatpants that were too short for her, stopping just above her ankles, and a white tank top that she had been using beneath her soft sweater, and she was holding a bundle in her arms, a green blanket and a baby securely wrapped in it. The blonde had her back turned away from Lena, her hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail, and the younger woman could see her muscles shifting to accommodate her son while bouncing him up and down gently. There was no other illumination other than the moonlight shining through the window and it was a breathtaking view to have.</p><p>Kara, the strongest being alive, the kindest soul that ever walked on Earth and the most beautiful person in existence, holding Lena’s son, small, delicate, sweet, happy little Liam, both being bathed by the moon in the darkest hours of the night. And not only that, Lena reflected as her lips curled on their own accord. Kara was singing.</p><p>It was low, barely above a whisper, but her voice was so melodic, filling the room and Lena’s heart, that the brunette almost wished she could record it to listen again later. It wasn’t, admittedly, her type of music, although it was warming her heart on a whole new level. She couldn’t see Liam’s face from her position, but Lena knew her son enough to know that he was probably looking at Kara like she was hanging the moon above his head and saying it belonged only to him.</p><p>“<em>Moon river, wider than a mile. I’m crossing you in style some day</em>,” the blonde sang, her shoulders moving up and down with her effort to rock the baby back to sleep. “<em>Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker. Whenever you’re going, I’m goin’ your way.</em>”</p><p>Lena tried to think back on another time when she felt more at peace but she couldn’t. Face sustaining a lazy smile, Lena closed her eyes to allow Kara’s voice to sink in and to fully appreciate the words she was singing.</p><p>“<em>Two drifters, off to see the world. There’s such a lot of world to see</em>,” Kara’s voice came out fluidly, and, with her eyes closed, it was easy for Lena to imagine it as the softest silk embracing her very soul. “<em>We’re after the same rainbow’s end, waitin’ ‘round the bend. My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me</em>.”</p><p>The voice slowly drifted to a soft hum like waves hitting the shore on a calm day and Lena wondered how could her brain associate Kara to something that caused herso much harm to think about. The ocean, water in general, became a very painful memory for Lena since she was four and, yet, there she was. And she couldn’t bring herself to think of it as a bad thing.</p><p>Kara was, it had become very clear, a way to her happiness and, despite all the reservations and restraints she had put over herself, Lena decided she wouldn’t allow anything to get in the path to her happiness. In a world where everyone was just too eager to put Lena down, Kara was the only one who fought and made her believe that Lena was worth of it. Worthy of happiness as everyone else.</p><p>And happiness, it seemed, had the same shape as shadows caused by the moonlight.</p><p>“I hope,” Lena started and opened her eyes. Kara had turned to look at her, little Liam sound asleep in her arms and a huge smile on her face, and the brunette could swear her heart stopped beating for a second or two. “I hope you stay around for a very long time,” she sighed, still motionless besides the way her eyes crinkled to the side when her stare softened even more.</p><p>Kara, on the other hand, couldn’t keep herself still for much longer. Making sure the baby was asleep and not disturbed, the blonde crossed the room until she stood right in front of Lena, looking down at her while the shorter woman turned her head to look up. Their eyes met and Lena wondered if they had, somehow, became magnets. After long seconds, Kara finally tilted her head, bent down and pressed a kiss on Lena’s lips. The other woman’s hands raised to cup the blonde’s face before she even realized what was going on and Lena kissed her back with everything she had inside her heart to offer.</p><p>When she pulled back, pressing two other pecks on Kara’s pink lips, she smiled again before sliding her hands down to her shoulders, giving it a squeeze. The muscles under her palms were strong, she could feel it, and Lena had to make a conscious effort not to let her hand caress the mouth-watering biceps that were so carelessly on display for her to appreciate.</p><p>“He woke up?”</p><p>Kara nodded and hummed from the back of her throat again. “I think the apple puree decided it was time to leave the building.” Lena chuckled and rolled her eyes but the taller woman was fast to give her another peck before she could tease her for another dirty diaper successfully changed. “Don’t roll your eyes at me,” Kara mumbled against her mouth.</p><p>Lena sighed, allowing another short kiss. “Why not? I’m just appreciating the silly things you say.” Pulling away, she made sure to look right into blue eyes again before speaking. “Think of it as a good thing.”</p><p>“A good thing?” Kara questioned while raising both eyebrows.</p><p>“Uhum,” she agreed and leaned over to nuzzle at Kara’s jaw. “Think that every time I roll my eyes at you, I fall in love a little bit more.”</p><p>She heard and felt when Kara’s breath got stuck in her throat, and she had to battle the urge to bite her bottom lip and hide. Instead, she waited and was rewarded with the blonde’s beautiful voice again. “Maybe you should roll your eyes more, then.”</p><p>Giggling, Lena took a step back, putting both feet back on the ground, and used the baby monitor to point at the baby’s crib. “Put him back to sleep. I really need to pee.”</p><p>When she slipped back in her bed, Kara was patiently waiting with her arms open and a broad smile. “More cuddles for you,” she declared.</p><p>“Like you’re not enjoying it,” Lena replied while rolling her eyes again. Kara beamed at her like she was seeing the Sun for the first time and Lena conceded her another kiss before laying her head on Kara’s shoulder and wrapping her arms around the blonde’s waist.</p><p>“I don’t think I ever enjoyed something as much as I’m enjoying this,” the woman confessed with her lips brushing against Lena’s head, and, soon after, they were both asleep.</p><p>The next time Lena woke up, it was to the sound of cries coming from the baby monitor she had put back on its place before getting back in her bed. She glanced at the clock and knew what the fussing was about. There was not enough singing that would soothe Liam when he was hungry, that’s for sure, so she managed to slip out from Kara’s embrace to go feed her son.</p><p>She had no idea how much time had passed before the bedroom door was pushed open and Kara peeked her head inside with a sleepy smile, eyes slightly swollen and hair a bigger mess than before, using the door handle to lean over. “Hey, can I burrow... Rao’s sake!”</p><p>Lena had no time to react before Kara snapped the door out of the frame. Her hand, delicate looking but holding the most strength on Earth, managed to bend the metal of the door handle like it was butter before she slipped, with nowhere else to hold, and started to fall, only to grab the door instead and literally rip it off the frame. Arching her eyebrows, Lena watched as the blonde fought over with the wood piece, trying to put it back although it was clear it was broken.</p><p>“I’m sorry!” Kara’s face was burning red and she was refusing to look back at Lena as though the younger woman was tormented by a plague. “I didn’t know you were... I thought... I didn’t mean... I just... Damn, this door... I will fix it, don’t worry!”</p><p>Lena giggled to herself, unable to hold it back anymore, before she looked back down at the undisturbed baby, who kept suckling on her nipple without a care in the world. “That’s fine, Kara. I’m just feeding him.”</p><p>“Yes!” The blonde shouted and finally gave up trying to put the door back. Instead, she put it against the wall and rushed to stand outside in the hallway, with her back turned at Lena and both hands on her hips. The other woman could see that even the back of her neck was blushed and she giggled again. “Yes, I saw that! I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were... doing that.”</p><p>Just for fun, Lena hummed and pretended to consider her words for a couple of seconds. “You will need to fix the door, though.”</p><p>“I will! Don’t worry! I totally will! I just need to go buy some of those things that keep the door in place. And the doorknob. But I will fix it! I promise!”</p><p>Lena hummed again, for longer this time, before she huffed. “Kara, it’s okay if you look at me.”</p><p>The blonde shook her head so fast that her messy ponytail wiggled like crazy. “You... You’re... Your... I don’t...”</p><p>“Kara, take a breath, please,” Lena rolled her eyes when she glanced down at the baby in her arms like she was trying to ask him what she should do with the other woman. Liam, as expected, barely gave her any attention. “I have one tit out, it’s fine.”</p><p>“Rao,” Kara breathed out in pure shock.</p><p>It made the brunette chuckle. “I know you have a thing for my boobs, and I don’t want you to have a stroke anytime soon, but it’s okay for you to turn around, you know?”</p><p>“I don’t have a thing for... that!”</p><p>“Yes, you do,” Lena corrected, clearly amused, and Kara dared to glance very quickly over her shoulder, only to turn her head back around just as fast. “I saw you staring at them a couple of times. It’s okay to admit it, Kara. I would find it very flattering, coming from you.”</p><p>Kara sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“You don’t need to be sorry, darling.” Liam finally let go of her nipple, so Lena pushed the strap of her gown back up her shoulder before standing up with the boy supported on her left hip. “In fact,” Lena started again, letting her green eyes travel to dark sweatpants that looked delicious on Kara. “I also admire some of your attributes.” She walked over until she could slip past Kara and start making her way towards the kitchen. “Luckily for me, you can’t see when I’m staring at it.” Lena threw her a sinful smirk and a wink when she made a turn to enter the kitchen, then chuckled to herself when she saw Kara’s throat bob with a hard swallow.</p><p>If there was something Lena loved to do it was teasing the other woman. It was too easy and she loved to watch the blush raise all over Kara’s chest, neck and cheeks.</p><p>And Kara did have the most amazing ass ever, so she wasn’t lying.</p><p>“What were you going to ask me?” Lena asked, her lips turned upright in a large smirk. She had already reached the kitchen by then and she gently put Liam in his high chair so she could start making some pancakes.</p><p>Kara still hadn’t shown up – Lena could perfectly picture her still froze in the hallway trying to digest her words. “A toothbrush.”</p><p>“Hum?”</p><p>“I, uh, I was going to ask if you had a spare toothbrush I could use.”</p><p>“I think there’s one in my bathroom. Take a look in the cabinet.”</p><p>She heard Kara moving around for a while, then decided she would be fine while Lena made them breakfast. Lena put a pancake on the pan while she cut the strawberries and talked with Liam about the weather. It wasn’t as sunny as the day before and Lena had her suspicions that it would rain in the next few days, so she told him that, knowing very well how important for his development it was. When the blonde finally showed up at the kitchen again, she didn’t look like she had just woken up, which was totally unfair.</p><p>Kara slipped behind her to press a kiss where her neck met her shoulder and Lena sighed happily. “You’re still using my hoodie.”</p><p>“I think you’re mistaken,” Lena replied. “This is <em>my</em> hoodie.”</p><p>Kara chuckled and kissed her neck again before moving away to kiss Liam’s head. “Did you hear that? Your mother stole from me.”</p><p>“I didn’t steal,” the shorter woman rolled her eyes and pushed a strawberry inside her mouth. She chewed slowly before talking again. “I’m just keeping it here in case we have another sleepover. You might end up needing it.”</p><p>The blonde’s breath was warm and smelled like mint when she curled her arms around Lena’s waist and chuckled against her ear. “Always thinking about what’s best for me.”</p><p>“Don’t ever forget that,” Lena teased back. “And move or I will burn the pancakes.”</p><p>Kara let her go after gently squeezing her waist but, as soon as Lena stepped out of her embrace, the blonde seemed to remember something. She leaned against the counter with her back beside Lena, pressing both hands against the cold surface and biting her bottom lip while she watched the other woman flip the pancake.</p><p>“Did I...” she stopped, gulped, and then looked away when her cheeks started to redden. “Did I hurt you? The other day.”</p><p>Lena frowned but didn’t say anything right away. Instead, she took the pancake out and into a plate before splattering more batter on the pan. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“When we...” Kara tried to use her hands to describe what she wanted to say, and Lena found it too amusing to decide to help her out. “You know... On my couch.”</p><p>“Oh, you mean when I was grinding on your leg like I was about to die if I didn’t?”</p><p>At her blunt words, Kara choked around nothing and coughed to try to hide how hard she was blushing. “I was just wondering if I didn’t end up hurting you in any way. I... I got a little carried away.”</p><p>“Not a scratch,” Lena promised at her with a wink. “My neck is a little sensitive, so I guess you almost left me a hickey. But, other than that, nothing at all.”</p><p>Kara nodded, her shoulders falling in pure relief, and her eyes moved to stare at Lena’s midsection like she was able to see something no one else could. “I was afraid my hands might have... left a bruise or something.”</p><p>“Hey,” the shorter woman put the spatula down so she could use both hands to cup Kara’s face and force the other woman to look at her eyes. “You didn’t hurt me.”</p><p>“But I could,” Kara whispered and her blue eyes darted to stare back at the floor. “I could easily hurt you.”</p><p>“I would know you didn’t mean to,” Lena responded. “But you didn’t hurt me, Kara. In fact, I don’t think someone has ever touched me as gently as you did.”</p><p>Blushing again, Kara nodded. “I just have to be extra careful.”</p><p>Well, Lena would hate to have Kara feeling like she couldn’t fully be herself around her. She didn’t want the other woman to hold herself back for any reason. They had a wonderful time and she left without a single mark, although she now knew that the tension she felt coming from Kara’s body wasn’t entirely sexual. The woman was calculating inside her own head how hard she could hold her, probably worrying about hurting her as well.</p><p>That was intolerable.</p><p>“Maybe I can do something about it as well,” she commented with a shrug. “See if there’s something that can help dull your powers.”</p><p>“We use red sun lamps back at the DEO,” Kara said. “When they need to run some tests or something, they put me in a red sun lamp chamber.”</p><p>Lena nodded, her brain already working a thousand miles a minute with possibilities. “I think I can project something that could work indoors.” And she totally could. Calculus already running in her thoughts, she piled another pancake on the plate. “I will give it a try after I’m done with your suit.”</p><p>“Speaking of,” Kara chanted while pushing herself from the counter. “I got Winn’s old files. Just forgot to hand it over.” She walked to the cabinet where she could grab some plates to put out the table.</p><p>“Well, I can start working on it tomorrow,” Lena pondered. “I have to take Liam to the doctor tomorrow morning, but I’m free all day after that.”</p><p>Lena almost jumped through the roof when she heard things clashing behind her. She turned around, holding the spatula like a weapon, only to find that Kara was staring at her with wide eyes.</p><p>“What?” Lena asked as she tried to understand why her cutlery ended up being thrown unceremoniously at the table.</p><p>“Why... Why are you taking him to the doctor? What’s wrong?”</p><p>The shorter woman couldn’t help but chuckle when she heard the panic rising at every word Kara spoke. Lena turned off the stove so she wouldn’t end up burning anything, put the spatula down, and then walked over to wrap her arms around Kara’s neck. “There’s nothing wrong with Liam,” she said while raising one eyebrow. Kara didn’t seem convinced and her body still assembled a statue, so Lena decided to get on her tiptoes to give her a peck. “Relax, Kara.”</p><p>The blonde let out the breath she had been holding and a faint blush rose from her chest. The woman ducked her head to hide her face between Lena’s raven curled hair, her arms wrapped Lena’s waist to pull her closer, and the brunette sighed contently within their embrace. “Sorry, I panicked.”</p><p>“Yeah, I saw it,” Lena chuckled again, one of her hands running down blonde locks. “It’s a check-up, to make sure everything is fine. He also needs to get some vaccines.”</p><p>Kara pulled back to show her a grimace, her nose crinkled in that cute way Lena couldn’t help but melt every time she saw it. “I thought you loved Liam. Why are you poking his skin?”</p><p>Lena scoffed. “Not all of us are indestructible aliens. And, believe me, it pains me as well. He hates it. The first ones who got, he couldn’t stop crying for two hours after that.”</p><p>The blonde’s face softened and she leaned over to kiss her cheek. “I would offer to tag along, but, now that I’m not getting fired, I suppose I have to get some work done.”</p><p>The shorter woman shoved her away by the shoulder, adding some distance between them, and rolled her eyes. “You better work hard. Sam is starting tomorrow at CatCo. I believe Cat will stay for a few more weeks until Sam is fine to do things by herself,” she spoke while walking back to finish the pancakes.</p><p>“I will work harder than everyone else, promise.” She heard Kara going back to her task of setting the table, crisis averted. “But I can find a way to go with you if you wish.”</p><p>“No, it’s fine,” Lena sighed and her eyes glanced back at Liam for a brief second. The boy was happily hitting his hair with his fists, oblivious to the fact that he would hate their walk the next day. “Sometimes I still wonder how I’m supposed to do this.”</p><p>“Do what?”</p><p>“Raise him,” Lena sighed again, deeply this time, and shook her head distractedly. “I know nothing about raising a baby in general, but a boy? His father isn’t around, Sam had a girl as well, all of the male figures in my life were a huge disappointment. I’m sure this is going to be fun.”</p><p>It was time for Kara to laugh as she wrapped her arms around Lena to hug her from behind, looking over her shoulder while the shorter woman flipped another pancake. “It can’t be that hard. We will put him in Little League or something. Karate! And we can ask Alex, I heard Winn calling her a tomboy once.”</p><p>“We will ask your sister?” Lena mocked, although her lips had already widened into a huge smile. “Problem solved.”</p><p>“Come on,” Kara nudged her side and giggled happily. “We will figure it out.”</p><p>We. How could Lena ever have any doubts about Kara when she said things like that? Feeling a warmth engulfing her chest, Lena sighed and leaned against the strong body pressed against her back. “How did you slept tonight?”</p><p>“Rao, your bed is ridiculous,” Kara groaned against her ear. “I would have to work for five years to buy something as comfortable.”</p><p>“Hm,” she smirked and hummed. Another pancake was pushed to the plate and she dropped more batter on the pan. Lena wondered how long it would take for her to finish all of the pancakes and tried to measure the effort of feeding a Kryptonian. To be fair, she couldn’t bring herself to hate it. “And the mattress was the only thing you enjoyed?”</p><p>“Far from that,” the blonde argued, hugging her tighter and kissing the side of her neck. Lena felt a shiver run down her body starting from where the soft lips touched her skin and maybe, just maybe, Sam had a point about taking things slow. That, of course, didn’t change a thing. “I liked waking up with you very much,” Kara turned her head to kiss the other side of her neck. “I would love to do it every day.”</p><p>“Well, Liam wakes up every day at five to eat and he can be very loud.”</p><p>“We can just go back to bed.”</p><p>Lena chuckled. “I usually wake up at six for work.”</p><p>“Fine,” Kara sighed. “I would love to go to sleep with you every day, then wake up at five and go back to sleep.”</p><p>Flipping yet another pancake, the shorter woman rolled her eyes. “I don’t allow laziness, just so you know.”</p><p>“Liam, your mom is being mean to me.”</p><p>“And you’re distracting me,” Lena complained, but her smile didn’t allow any grumpiness to invade her voice. “Go play with Liam and let me finish breakfast.”</p><p>After pressing another kiss on her neck, Kara pushed herself away. Lena turned her head in time to see the blonde scooping Liam from his chair and spinning him around in the air before supporting him on her hip. Liam, fed and totally rested, laughed loudly all the way until Kara set on the floor with him. Then, Lena decided it was time to pay attention to the pancakes again or she would end up burning them.</p><p>Lena had counted sixteen pancakes before she heard Kara gasping in the living room. “Lena!”</p><p>“What?” Already turning around, Lena asked while raising both eyebrows.</p><p>Kara used both hands to point at Liam from her place sitting cross-legged on the floor. The boy, who was wearing a very cute bodysuit with small foxes spread all over, was now supporting his weight on his knees and hands, his body wiggling back and forth like he was rehearsing a move. After seeing him, Lena also gasped and quickly let go of the spatula so she could run and crouch beside Kara.</p><p>“Holy shit,” she breathed out.</p><p>“He wasn’t doing that before, was he?”</p><p>“Fuck, no!” Lena looked around and saw that Liam’s goal was his super puppy that was just out of his reach.</p><p>“Do you think he’s going to...”</p><p>Before Kara could even finish her question, Liam’s body wiggled one last time and his bum came to rest against his legs in a half-sitting position. He looked at his mother with a broad toothless smile and giggled. Not even a little disappointed by it, Lena was quick to pull him into her arms.</p><p>“Oh, baby! You’re such a good boy! You almost crawled!” She kissed his head and closed her eyes to enjoy the moment the best she could, resting her cheek against the top of his head. “You can already hold yourself up, like a big boy.”</p><p>“Lena, are you crying?” Kara asked gently, although with a hint of humor in her voice.</p><p>“No,” Lena sniffled, huffed a laugh, and opened her eyes to look at the blonde. Kara had a fond smile while watching the two of them and she reached out to squeeze Lena’s thigh. “It’s silly.”</p><p>“No, it’s not,” the woman shook her head.</p><p>Lena was about to say something else when her nose suddenly smelled something that wasn’t baby smell and she frowned. “Oh, shit, the pancake!”</p><p>Kara looked over her shoulder and then she was gone in a flash before Lena could react. The woman grabbed the pan, turned off the stove and quickly moved to put the pan on the sink. “We have one soldier down!”</p><p>Lena scoffed, rolled her eyes and turned her head to look at her son. “She’s ridiculous, isn’t she?”</p><p>“I can hear you!”</p><p>“Open the windows, will you?” Lena asked, deciding to ignore the jab. “I want to see if he can do that again.”</p><p>Fourteen pancakes were enough to feed a Kryptonian. Lena managed to save two for herself. They drank orange juice, ate some strawberries, made the pile of pancakes disappear and then they had nothing else to do. It was Sunday and neither of them had any plans.</p><p>“If you wish to enjoy your day, I can go back to my place,” Kara had said after putting the last clean dish away.</p><p>“We will go almost all week without seeing each other,” Lena had argued. “You can show me your friend’s research, we can figure something out for lunch and if you behave...”</p><p>“Ice cream?!”</p><p>“No,” Lena shook her head when Kara pouted at her. “I was going to offer you to watch a movie.”</p><p>The blonde sighed, but Lena could see the corner of her lips twisting while she fought a smile. “Are you going to let me choose it?”</p><p>“Not a chance.”</p><p>“Sounds fun, I’m in!”</p><p>Lena chuckled and turned around to give her a peck. When she pulled away, Kara had a funny look on her face that made the brunette arch one eyebrow. “What?”</p><p>“I love kissing you.”</p><p>“Hm,” Lena hummed and winked. “And you kept losing time.”</p><p>It was time for Kara to roll her eyes. “I will go grab the hard drive Winn was keeping his stuff so you can go all genius over it.”</p><p>This Winn guy had done a fair share of research, Lena realized not even half an hour in. He had notes and more notes, pages and pages of study, comparisons with other hero’s uniforms, and an entire video dedicated to a scene from a Disney movie where a ridiculously short woman screamed “No capes!” every time an image from one of his ideas flashed on the screen. She had to say, it was creative, and she wished she had met this man.</p><p>Winn had most of the research done, he just wasn’t able to crack down the last detail – about how to make the suit materialize so Kara wouldn’t have to walk around wearing it underneath her clothes. He played with a few ideas, like different variations of a watch, but, as far as Lena knew, he was never able to put any of that into practice. She would have to do some more research about nanotechnology and then move it all to her lab, but she was confident she would be able to figure something out.</p><p>Engulfed in her work as she usually got, Lena almost missed lunchtime. Kara made them some sandwiches and mashed a carrot for Liam, and Lena thanked her by pressing kisses all over her face. Liam loved the apple puree Kara made, mashed potato and also sweet potato, as Lena learned since she started feeding him solids, but he apparently hated carrot. Even so, she made him eat most of it. He was four months old, she didn’t need himbeing picky with his food just yet.</p><p>“Okay,” Lena declared after cleaning the mess he made on his high chair. “I will let him nurse so he doesn’t get hungry and then I will pump. My breasts feel like they want revenge against me. Feel free to find something on TV while I’m gone.”</p><p>As expected, as soon as her breasts were mentioned, Kara’s blue eyes flicked to them briefly before the blonde blushed a ridiculous shade of red and refused to look at her again. It was amusing, Lena had to admit, although she would love if Kara could stop pretending she doesn’t have boobs. Even so, she let Kara alone in the kitchen so she could do everything she needed before Liam started to throw his little fists around.</p><p>She let him nurse until he was finally satisfied, made him burp, changed him, and, by the time she slid his bodysuit on again, Liam was already sleeping. He always napped after lunch, which was something Lena envied as nothing else in her life. Then she pumped her breasts until there was nothing else left, which was the unsexiest thing that she has ever done in her entire life, so she was fine with Kara avoiding the area while she was at it. Still necessary though.</p><p>By the time she finally exited Liam’s room, closing the door behind her but carrying the baby monitor, Kara was spread out on her couch watching a movie Lena couldn’t recognize. She raised her head when she heard Lena walking in and shared a large smile that made the other woman smile as well. Lena put the baby monitor by the side table and pressed a hand on Kara’s shoulder to push her back to a laying position when the blonde moved to sit up to give her some room to sit. Smirking, she pressed until Kara allowed herself to be pushed back down, then she threw one leg over Kara’s hips, keeping it between the couch and the blonde’s left thigh.</p><p>Lena didn’t take her other foot from the ground so she wouldn’t have to touch Kara other than where their legs were pressed together, but she did arch one eyebrow in a silent request. The blonde, looking at her from under the hood of her eyes, smiled and raised her hands to hold Lena’s hips. She gently coaxed the Luthor to sit down and they both sighed when Lena’s bottom touched Kara’s thighs.</p><p>“What...” Kara gulped, her thumbs caressing small circles against Lena’s back. She hadn’t dared to go under the hoodie – the gray National City University’s hoodie that Lena was still wearing – but the brunette couldn’t help but wish she would. “What are we doing now?”</p><p>Lena tilted her head to the side, both of her hands raising to rest against Kara’s hard stomach. She tried not to let her fingers get too touchy, despite the fact that she wished nothing more than dig her nails into the flesh that was so deliciously calling out to her. Instead, she kept her palms spread out against Kara’s ribs and tried to stay still.</p><p>“Kara,” she breathed.</p><p>She wasn’t sure what exactly she wanted. Lena had no idea what compelled her to make her sit on Kara’s lap like that, neither what she was hoping to happen now that she was there, but, at the same time, she wanted to see where things would go. She just needed Kara to tell her what she was comfortable with, she needed Kara to take the lead for a second because Lena had no fucking clue how to proceed.</p><p>Maybe Kara lied when she said she couldn’t read minds because, just after Lena’s thoughts died out, the blonde sat up again, this time wrapping her arms securely around Lena’s waist so she wouldn’t fall and their eyes met. Lena’s next breath got stuck on the back of her throat and her hands grasped at the material of Kara’s shirt like she was hanging from a cliff. Then, she put her other leg up and on the couch as well, effectively straddling the blonde. Not that she seemed to mind.</p><p>As soon as the breath Lena was holding escaped, in a huff, Kara turned her head and kissed her chin. It was soft at first, just a gentle caress. It soon changed when the blonde opened her mouth to nibble at the pale skin, just where her jaw met her throat, and Lena gasped loudly in the otherwise quiet room. Kara moved down next, easily finding her pulse point and sucking at the skin harder than she had done a couple of days prior.</p><p>Even so, Lena could feel she was holding herself back – controlling, self-conscious about her own nature. “It’s okay,” she whispered, throwing her head to the side so she could concede the other woman more space. “You can mark me.”</p><p>“Lena,” Kara whimpered and the hands on her hips tightened for a moment.</p><p>The hot breath against her neck made Lena stiffen before she arched her back, pressing her front against Kara. “Jesus.” Lena whimpered.</p><p>“Is this okay?” Kara asked, brushing her lips along the vein in her neck.</p><p>“It’s more than okay.” Lena clutched her fingers against the woman’s shirt again. She felt like her soul was leaving her body or maybe being put back inside. It was almost too much but, at the same time, it wasn’t enough. “Don’t stop, please.”</p><p>Kara nodded against her neck before her lips closed around a patch of skin again and sucked. It was barely a pressure at first but then it slowly increased until Lena could feel it in her very core and she had no doubt that there would be a mark later. Realize that made her moan shamelessly as one of her hands raised to hold Kara’s shoulder.</p><p>“You drive me crazy, Kara,” she admitted and surprised herself to realize she was already out of breath. “You keep teasing me and, fuck, it’s been so long since someone touched me.”</p><p>A sound came from the back of Kara’s throat – something between a growl and a whimper – and Lena wondered if that was a demonstration of jealousy. Maybe Kara didn’t enjoy the idea of other people touching her. But then the blonde nibbled at her collarbone and sighed. “I’m the one teasing you? Rao’s sake, Lena, you’re killing me.”</p><p>Lena could have cried in frustration. She really, really, really could. Instead, she used her nails to scratch the back of Kara’s neck as she tried so desperately to bring her closer. “I told you I’m fine with doing whatever you are.”</p><p>“No sex,” Kara traced a circle with her tongue on the hollow of Lena’s throat and the shorter woman felt her entire body tremble with that.</p><p>“What do you want?” It was so damn hard to keep her brain functioning.</p><p>“I don’t know,” the blonde sighed and her shoulders dropped. “I have no idea. I don’t know what I’m doing.” That’s when Kara’s forehead came to rest against her clavicle, so Lena finally let go of her shirt to run a hand through blonde locks. “But I don’t want to stop. I need... I want to touch you. Just, please, I... I want to...”</p><p>Lena felt a jolt of pleasure run down her body and settle right between her legs when she recognized the pure, raw need in the tone the blonde was using. They definitely weren’t touching in enough places, she decided. Kara’s hair was soft where she slid her fingers into it, her lips were warm, her hands felt like they were burning holes on her hips, and that still wasn’t enough.</p><p>“Take off the hoodie,” she commanded gently, giving Kara a way out if she wished for one.</p><p>The hero wasn’t having it. Her fingers quickly curled around the ends of the gray hoodie and she pulled it up unceremoniously. Lena raised her arms to allow her to remove it completely, but her hands quickly found Kara’s face once it was off and thrown somewhere behind her couch. She pulled Kara closer for a kiss and, this time, Kara’s hands found the skin underneath the simple black shirt she was now wearing.</p><p>Lena moaned into the kiss when their tongues touched, and so did Kara, who sucked gently at her lips and tongue at every few seconds, just the way she was learning Lena liked. The warm hands on her hips suddenly started moving, up and down her ribcage, and the brunette thought she might end up dying before anything else happened. Their lips ended up parting when Lena gasped, feeling a hint of Kara’s nails just below her breasts, but the superhero moved fast, bringing the pink lips back to her neck.</p><p>Kara was definitely more certain of herself this time, using her teeth to leave small nips against the column of her throat. Then one of her hands left its place on Lena’s hip to push her shirt aside just enough to show the skin of her shoulder and a hint of her cleavage. She pressed warm, wet kisses all over the new skin she found.</p><p>“Kara,” Lena moaned.</p><p>“Is this okay?”</p><p>“My...” Lena gasped when Kara sucked a portion of skin above her right chest. “My shirt... You... You can... Just... Fuck, I can’t think.”</p><p>At that, the blonde chuckled. However, she didn’t make any movement to remove the shirt like Lena was trying to ask her to do. On the contrary, because Kara let go of the cotton material, it fell back in place, and she slid her hand away. Lena was about to start begging – for what, she wasn’t entirely sure yet – when Kara moved that same hand up and cupped her breast through the layers of clothes. The touch was barely there, Lena could barely even feel it at all, but it made her gasp, whimper and moan in quick succession.</p><p>“Kara,” she moaned, closed her eyes and arched against the touch.</p><p>The blonde didn’t seem so sure what she should do next. She just stayed there, holding the soft weight in her palm, and Lena didn’t have to look at her to know she was blushing. She noticed that Kara had taken the lead enough for now and that the woman would probably combust if she didn’t help her out in some way, so Lena took her fingers from where they had threaded through the hero’s hair so she could cup the back of Kara’s hand. She opened her eyes to stare down at the blonde and found her already looking at her with wide, unsure eyes. Unsure, but hopeful more than anything, so Lena gave her a smile and squeezed her hand.</p><p>Biting her bottom lip, Lena held back another moan at the sensation of Kara’s palm pressed against her already hard nipple. “Just be gentle,” she said. “They’re sensitive now.”</p><p>Kara nodded eagerly and there was no doubt in Lena’s mind that the woman would take her words very seriously. There was no way in Hell that Kara would hurt her, even accidentally. Lena then leaned down to kiss her again, dropping her hand so Kara could set the pace, and sighed happily when a thumb rubbed her nipple.</p><p>“Is this... is this okay?” Kara asked between kisses.</p><p>Lena pulled back to give her a smirk. “I will tell you if I’m not okay with something, okay?” The blonde nodded again and she chuckled, overwhelmed by the care Kara showed her. “If you do it right, they’re very sensitive for the good things too.”</p><p>That put another goal in Kara’s head. Suddenly, she tugged at the hem of Lena’s shirt with both hands, looking up at Lena like she was being granted the best gift of all time. “May I?”</p><p>Lena only had to nod once before her shirt was pulled away. The hero fumbled a little to pull her shirt all the way up and off of her. The bra she was wearing was far from her sexiest one. It certainly was more out of comfort than fashion – breastfeeding and a baby does that to you. It was black and the hook was in the front, and Lena was a little self-conscious about it. Not only that but her soft stomach, showing stretch marks and some of the weight she had gained during her pregnancy, also made her pause.</p><p>She hadn’t seen Kara without her clothes – yet – but she was sure the woman was nothing but perfect. If her biceps were any indication, she probably had defined muscles everywhere. And, God, what if she had a damn six-pack? Lena would die.</p><p>“Lena,” Kara gasped, her hands grasping at Lena’s hips like she was afraid the woman was going to disappear in the air. “Rao, Lena.”</p><p>The brunette felt the urge to cover herself. She shouldn’t have let Kara throw her clothes away like that because now she had nothing to put back on. She was so carried away with the feelings and sensations that she totally forgot that the Sun was still high in the sky and that she couldn’t hide in the dark or beneath a blanket. Although, now that she thought about it, it probably wouldn’t make a difference for a Kryptonian, right?</p><p>Fuck, she was screwed.</p><p>That was the main reason she didn’t want to have sex just yet. How could she forget that?</p><p>“Hey,” Kara called out gently and Lena’s green eyes moved to her face before she could stop herself. Kara’s eyes were soft, her expression nothing but kind, and the adoration Lena could see burning in blue eyes almost made her cry. “Not okay anymore?”</p><p>Lena sighed and ducked her head. “I just... I’m not at my best right now.” Not that Lena was the most atletic person ever. In fact, her hips were always a bit wide, the muscles on her stomach were never introduced to sit-ups or anything, and there was a reason Lena always took the elevator. But Kara, strong, muscular, walked straight out of a magazine, didn’t need to know that. Hell, Kara was sitting like that with no support for over ten minutes now and she didn’t even look affected by it.</p><p>“Lena, please, look at me.”</p><p>She did, despite her own wish to never look at Kara again, almost like the hero’s voice locked her into a trance. Kara was frowning a little bit, her smile was gone. Lena’s hands slid off Kara’s shoulder and neck to fall in her own lap, her fingers fiddling together while she waited for a verdict.</p><p>Instead of speaking right away, Kara let go of her hips to hold her hands on hers. Then, she gave Lena a small smile. “You’re the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes on. I wish you could see yourself as I do.” She made a pause to squeeze Lena’s hands. “You’re beautiful because of the way you think, the way you smile, the way you get excited when you talk about something you like, the way you have the courage to be yourself. And you’re beautiful outside as well.”</p><p>“Kara...”</p><p>“I want to kiss every scar, every mark, every curve, and every inch,” the blonde promised, sealing her words with a quick kiss. “I hope one day I will be able to do all of that.” Then, just before Lena could start crying, she let go of her hands and touched the clasp on the brunette’s bra. “May I?”</p><p>Lena’s breath started to quicken when she nodded – because there was no way she could find her voice with the lump blocking her throat. That was enough though, because Kara smiled fondly at her before popping the clasp open. Her breasts, big and heavy, along with gravity did the rest. Lena had half a mind to close her eyes so she wouldn’t have to see – she knew how she looked, pale skin, freckles all over her chest area, stopping just above her breasts, nipples red and wrinkled. However, curiosity got the best of her when Kara gasped rather loudly.</p><p>It was a little funny – enough to make her chuckle – the image of Kara’s face staring at her boobs as though she had never seen anything like that before. Mouth hanging open, wide eyes, and blow pupils. It sent another shot of pleasure through her body and there was no denying how wet she was. She could feel it through her underwear and pants, and it took all she had not to grind against Kara to find some relief.</p><p>It took Kara a few seconds to recover but, when she did, she brushed her thumbs over the red nipples at the same time, and Lena bit her bottom lip hard. Then, just before Lena could literally melt away, Kara bent her head and wrapped her lips around her right nipple. She used her flat tongue to flick it and Lena threw her head back, a loud moan escaping her lips before she could stop herself. The hero started a pattern of gentle licks and even more gentle sucks, and Lena decided she was already dead and was thrown into Paradise without noticing it.</p><p>Since she got pregnant, her breasts had been a constant fight. While she was pregnant, Lena couldn’t find the right bra to relieve the pain, her skin itched, her nipples would hurt every time she even brushed them. After Liam, they became even more sensitive, like it was raw skin and even her clothes could hurt sometimes. It got better now, almost five months after giving birth, but she wasn’t expecting it to feel so good. So fucking good.</p><p>She melted against Kara, letting a strong hand positioned on her hips to hold her in place, and dug her nails on Kara’s shoulders. Lena had to remind herself not to squeeze too hard, unless she wished to break her own fingers, but she almost lost it when she felt the blonde holding the nipple between her teeth.</p><p>“Fuck, yes.”</p><p>“Is this good?”</p><p>“Yes,” Lena groaned and whimpered. “Just... don’t suck too hard.” That would be a disaster, she thought.</p><p>Kara nodded against her before moving her mouth to the other breast to give it equal treatment. That’s when Lena lost the last ounce of self-control she had. She started rocking her hips in time with Kara’s licks, sucks and nibbles, moaning and gasping without a care in the world. Just when Lena thought it couldn’t get better, Kara moaned against her skin, sending vibrations straight from her nipple to the wetness between her legs.</p><p>God. Lena was rocking her hips against Kara, she realized. She was probably working the other woman up as well. Fuck. <em>Fuck</em>.</p><p>“Oh, fuck,” Lena moaned. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” She started to shake like an earthquake had just started inside her own body. Hips moving, arched back, a nipple being gently swirled around by a warm tongue, Lena had no chance. “<em>Oh, fuck</em>.”</p><p>Her orgasm hit her like a fucking train. Blood was pounding in her ears, her heart was beating painfully against her chest, her thighs were trembling, her center was clenching around nothing, and Lena couldn’t even remember the last time she came so hard. And Kara hadn’t even ventured down below yet. Maybe she wouldn’t survive when <em>that</em> happened.</p><p>It was only when the blonde whimpered against her neck, where she had moved to press open-mouthed kisses at, that Lena remembered she wasn’t the only one affected by their own exchange. “Do you want me to...”</p><p>Once again, Kara didn’t even let her finish the question before shaking her head. “No. No, it’s fine.”</p><p>“Kara,” Lena sighed. “It’s okay if you want that. Or not, too. I mean, if what happened didn’t turn you on, it’s fi...”</p><p>“It did,” Kara denied quickly and she sounded almost desperate. “That was, uh, that was good.”</p><p>Despite the situation, Lena smiled. “Yes, it was.” She cupped Kara’s face again and coaxed her to pul away so they could look at each other’s face again. “I can do that to you as well. Or something else. Anything you want.”</p><p>The blonde bit her bottom lip, clearly considering her words, weighting them, before she sighed. “I’m afraid I will hurt you if you touch me.”</p><p>God, Lena needed to work on those sun lamps faster than she thought. “I’m sure it will be fine, darling.”</p><p>Kara shook her head and, for a second, it felt like it was over. Lena would have to get up and change her ruined underwear, and it would be over. But then, to her surprise, the blonde put a warm palm against Lena’s stomach and the other woman understood it as a silent request not to move. With a sigh, Kara laid back down on the couch and rested both hands against Lena’s thighs. The brunette was still sitting on her legs, their centers just barely brushing.</p><p>Lena waited, not sure what was about to happen, until Kara squeezed her left thigh before sliding her hand down, over her knee, and on top of her own stomach. By then, Lena got an idea of what was going to happen and her eyes widened before she could stop herself. The hero undid the lace on the pants Lena had loaned her and the tip of her fingers brushed over it for a few seconds before she pushed her hand down, sneaking it inside the pants.</p><p>She gasped at the same time Lena bit her bottom lip and it could have been comical if Lena wasn’t so turned on by that. She could see the outline of Kara’s hand pushed inside her pants and she could make out a few of her movements – circles and long strokes – but Kara’s noises were enough to paint a perfect picture of what was going on. The brunette almost jumped away, pulled Kara’s pants all the way down, and took the matter in her own hands. However, the hero had made it very clear that she wasn’t ready to have Lena touching her just yet, so she just watched.</p><p>Kara whimpered and gasped beneath her, her hips jerking up a few times, and Lena had to hold herself back not to start grinding on her again. It took just a bit over a minute before she felt the body beneath her shake, tense up, and then relax. Kara came silently, her mouth opening in a quick gasp, and Lena felt almost bad for wishing she had screamed. The blonde wasn’t probably even back from her high before she took the hand from inside her pants and discreetly cleaned her wet fingers against her thigh. Lena wished she could suck them clean instead.</p><p>After that, they just stared at each other for a few minutes, all lazy smiles and flushed cheeks. Lena still had her bra open, her chest exposed to the slightly cold air of the room, and Kara must have realized it at the same time she did because her hands, still shaking a bit, raised to bring both parts together until she could put the clasp back in place. It was a little painful now, but Lena adjusted quickly.</p><p>“We’re not taking this so slow,” Kara commented with a side grin.</p><p>Lena chuckled. “Not very much, no. Do you want to slow it down?”</p><p>“Rao, no,” the blonde shook her head, then tugged at Lena’s hip until the younger woman understood the message and laid down on top of her. They stayed like that for maybe two or three minutes, Lena’s head on Kara’s chest, the hero’s arms around her middle, before she spoke again. “I’m hungry.”</p><p>At that, Lena rolled her eyes.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Winn: The first time I saw a boob, I was 17 and I cried.<br/>James: 14, couldn't open the bra.<br/>Mon-El: Last week, I buried my face on them.<br/>Alex: 29, don't judge, it was the best boob ever.<br/>James: What about you, Kara?<br/>Kara: Oh... I... Well, I was... Huh...<br/>Lena: Two hours ago... She broke my door.<br/>*Everyone stares at Kara*<br/>*Kara finds a way to dig a hole for herself*<br/>Kara *from inside the hole*: You can't blame me! She has very nice boobs!<br/>Lena: Thank you, darling. I grew them myself.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. The things we leave behind</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here goes another chapter... A bit shorter, just to fill in the last details for what is yet to come. I won't post tomorrow, just to warn everyone, but I will be back after that!</p><p>Helper, you send me a gift and my gift for you is just &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kara left just before dinner after receiving a call from Alex. She didn't say much, all she told Lena was that her sister was asking for some sisters' time and she sounded a little off. She left after they agreed to meet again for dinner on Wednesday, then she kissed Liam goodnight and gave Lena a peck. Once alone, Lena looked down at herself and noticed she was still wearing Kara's hoodie. Well, she wasn't joking. She was keeping it now. It smelled like Kara - cinnamon and vanilla - and she liked it very much, thank you.</p><p>Lena was about to get started on dinner when her phone rang. It was Sam and her friend was on a roll the second she answered it. Not that she was surprised because Ruby didn’t learn how to ramble out of nowhere.</p><p>
  <em>"Don't ever mention Alex's name to me, ever again."</em>
</p><p>Lena blinked, not sure how they ended up having that conversation, before she pulled a chair she could sit on - because this wasn't going to be a short talk, for sure. "What happened?"</p><p>Her friend sighed on the other side of the line. <em>"We had a fight after our ride back from Games Night."</em></p><p>Even if she was alone, Lena nodded, her brows furrowing as the possibilities started to run through her mind. "Okay... About what?"</p><p><em>"It doesn't matter,"</em> another sigh, this time deeper and definitely sadder.</p><p>"I think it does because you're clearly ups..."</p><p>She didn’t have to finish the sentence before Samantha started talking again. This time, she wasn’t sad. This time, Lena could hear the barely hidden anger behind her words. <em>"I just think it’s funny how her sister can't do anything wrong."</em></p><p>"There you go."</p><p>Sam just ignored her. <em>"She couldn't even admit that the way Kara left the hospital was fucked up. Can you believe that?”</em> Her friend scoffed but Lena was too busy trying to understand what she was being told. <em>“And then she was mad at me because I found out Kara is Supergirl. Like she thought I was stupid enough not to notice! She wanted me to sign a bunch of stupid paperwork because of that but, let me tell you something, I asked her when she was going to tell me this little secret and she didn't have an answer for that."</em></p><p>The younger woman took some precious seconds to ponder her next words very carefully. Sam was clearly upset and she needed her friend to give some good advice for once. "So... Just to be crystal clear, you two had a fight because of Kara?"</p><p>Sam rolled her eyes. How could Lena possibly know that if it wasn’t a video call? She just knew her friend well enough. <em>"Not only that! She said Kara was crazy to have trusted you without knowing you in the beginning. I asked if that's because you're a Luthor but, of course, she dodged the question with another one."</em></p><p>"Sam, you didn’t have to fight because of me,” she replied softly, making sure her voice wasn’t anything but soothing.</p><p><em>"Yes, I did!” </em>Her friend almost shouted on the phone before she scoffed again, even louder. <em>“Fuck's sake, Lena. People judge you without knowing you and that pisses me off. And to hear that from Alex! God, Ruby liked her so much! But that's fine. At least we hadn't gone on a date yet, I will get over that. I just... Fuck, Lena. I was so mad."</em></p><p>Lena started drawing circles on her desk at some point using her index finger and she kept doing that for a while longer after Sam was done talking. She knew she had to be very delicate with the way she spoke next. “You two are very protective people by nature. I think you just need to talk again and work this out. It's not your job to defend my honor, Sam. Just like it's not Alex's job to keep Kara safe. You both need to think about yourselves for a moment, okay?"</p><p>This time there was a tired sigh and Sam had lost all her anger when she spoke next. <em>"It is still not fair."</em></p><p>Lena chuckled. "Many things aren't. Besides, as I said, it's your nature. I appreciate my crazy friend, but I also need you to take a step back and be happy, okay?"</p><p><em>"I will think about it,”</em> her friend said and Lena knew she actually meant it. Sam didn’t make empty promises. <em>“Do you know who's really crazy? Cat Grant. And you're making me work with her."</em></p><p>“You’re going to be fine, stop whining.”</p><p>When Lena put her phone down to make herself something to eat – which was apparently not going to happen – there was a knock on her door. She smiled, thinking it was Kara. The woman did say she still owed her a movie, although Lena wasn’t expecting her to be back so soon. She wasn’t going to complain though because spending time with Kara was easily one of her favo...</p><p>“Mother?”</p><p>“Hello, dear.”</p><p>Huh.</p><p>For a very, very long minute, that was all she could think. Huh.</p><p>Because opening her door to see Lillian Luthor standing in the hallway was not something she was expecting. In fact, it was easier for her to think she would find a living dinosaur instead of her mother. Scratch that. A dinosaur wearing a tutu and smoking a cigarette.</p><p>Then, when the confusion started to fade, anger rose from deep inside her chest. Lena crossed her arms and clenched her jaw almost painfully. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>Without answering, and just like she owned the place, Lillian walked past her and inside the apartment, her eyes already moving around in judgment. Lena wondered how long they would throw her in jail if she hit Lillian in the head with one of her heels. “I’m here to speak with you,” the woman declared when she suddenly turned around to face Lena.</p><p>“I have nothing to say to you.”</p><p>“Oh, dear, I believe you do,” Lillian smirked that sickening smirk that used to haunt her dreams. “I heard about your little adventure at the media empire and I have to ask what exactly do you think you’re doing.”</p><p>“Funny,” Lena arched one eyebrow. “I could ask you the same thing.”</p><p>Lillian’s gray eyes made a wonderful job of staring at her from head to toe before she snickered, disdain clear in her features. “Please, Lena. Don’t act as if you have suddenly grown a backbone. From all the deception you and Lex made me go through, not having a spine must be the biggest of them.”</p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry,” Lena mocked, tilting her head to the side and crinkling her nose. “Do we make your life harder?”</p><p>Instead of answering, Lillian grinned before pulling her purse in front of her body and opening it. “I have something to show you.”</p><p>“I truly hope those aren’t nude photos of you,” Lena remarked slyly when her mother took out a brown envelope from inside her ridiculously purple purse.</p><p>Lillian allowed an outrageous huff to escape her lips before she could stop herself and the younger brunette was almost proud of herself for causing that reaction. The woman’s hand dropped as she rolled her eyes so dramatically that Lena wondered if they would get stuck like that. “I’m not surprised by the course your life took. You can’t take anything seriously.”</p><p>Pulling out all of her talents as an actress, Lena looked over her shoulder and gasped. “Wait! Did we cross a portal? Am I back to being fifteen?”</p><p>“It would do you good to listen to what I have to tell you, Lena.”</p><p>That made her pause. Lillian very rarely called her by her name. It was always ‘dear’, as though <strike>as</strike> saying her name caused her mother's physical pain. It was also the way Lillian was looking at her – with a grin but frowning. The way Lillian so clearly disliked her. The way she hadn’t seen her mother in almost a year and then she suddenly showed up on her doorstep. The way she had learned things about her mother that chilled her bones and now Lillian was there, right in front of her.</p><p>Lena wanted to yell, scream, demand explanations, call the police. However, she couldn’t do any of that without explaining how exactly she found out about Lillian’s evil plans. Her mother would end up finding out about Kara and her girlfriend would be in even more danger. There was no doubt that Lillian would try extra hard to get rid of the Supers if she knew her daughter was involved with one of them.</p><p>So, instead of slapping Lillian across her face, Lena crossed her arms again and motioned for the woman to speak. “I’m listening.”</p><p>“I have something to offer you. An opportunity, perhaps.”</p><p>“An opportunity for what?” Lena quirked one eyebrow when the older woman tried to hand her the envelope.</p><p>They stared at each other for long seconds before Lillian dropped the envelope on her coffee table. “To make a difference.”</p><p>“Difference?” Lena scoffed. “Why would I like to make anything different? And, please, don’t tell me you’re about to say how huge of a disappointment I am. Again. I heard it the first three thousand times.”</p><p>Lillian’s lips twitched in what appeared to be a smile. “I didn’t say anything about making things different.” The dramatic pause was added consciously, Lena was at least sure of that. “What I'm offering you is an opportunity to change the world."</p><p>“Change the world?” Lena felt her stomach turn and she almost felt sick. She had a glimpse of what Lillian wanted for the world after everything Kara told her and the mere thought of it scared her. “Care to explain?”</p><p>“You should read the file. You will understand.” Then, smiling, Lillian started making her way back. “You will know where to find me.”</p><p>“You know,” Lena started, unable to stop one last jab, “most people nowadays use computers.”</p><p>For a second, a very brief second, Lena thought that her mother would flick her the finger. That would be the most terrifying, yet funniest, moment of her life. She didn’t though. “Some things are too important to risk technology taking over it.”</p><p>And then she was gone. Just like she first got there, Lillian was gone, and Lena was left behind blinking and wondering what had happened. But, most of all, what would happen.</p><p>She didn’t pick the file up. Lena had lost her appetite and she had no wish to deal with her family’s craziness for now. She would wake Liam up for his bath, let him nurse, take her own shower, get ready for bed, and then take a look at it. Although, she wondered if she should maybe call Kara so they could go through it together. Kara knew her mother better than herself apparently, so maybe she would see something she couldn’t.</p><p>Well, Lena would worry about that when the time comes. Liam first, always. Also, she really needed to take a shower after the activities Kara and her pulled earlier on her couch. And when did Lena became such a couch lover?</p><p>Liam fussed a little during his bath but he mostly splashed the water with his hands and giggled like that was the best thing in the world. After that, he nursed for a while before falling asleep still in her arms. Lena’s shower, as usual, was fast and she was slipping on her pajamas when her cellphone rang again. She was half expecting it to be Sam so she could complain about Alex again but it was an unknown number. Against her best judgment, she answered it.</p><p>“Lena Luthor.”</p><p><em>“Hello, Ms. Luthor. My name is Jeremy, I work for the NCPD. You’re listed as the owner of the Luthor Corporation building on the fifth avenue.” </em>The person on the other side of the line sounded like a young male, lacking all confidence the old police officers she had dealt with in the past held like pros.</p><p>At hearing the address of her family’s old company, Lena frowned. “I don’t own it, no. But I’m responsible for it since the owner is... unavailable.”</p><p>
  <em>“Of course. Well, I’m calling you to inform you the security system went off earlier tonight. We sent two officers to check the disturbance but they found nothing. The alarm probably just had a malfunction. We just wanted to let you know that we will leave a vehicle there all night just in case.”</em>
</p><p>“I appreciate that, Jeremy. Thank you very much.”</p><p>“You’re welcome, Miss. Have a good night.”</p><p>With a deep sigh, Lena threw her phone on top of her bed before following it like she had an anchor pulling her down. She closed her eyes and wondered how much worse her night could go. Tired and mentally exhausted, she fell asleep in no time.</p><p>Monday started in a rush, which pushed Lena out of her hard won balance. She had everything planned until Liam decided to throw a fit right after waking up. Lena wondered if he could possibly know where she was taking him and that's why he decided he wouldn’t be cooperative. That said, they left the penthouse fifteen minutes after they were supposed to and Lena was already in a bad mood when they got in the doctor's office.</p><p>Then she learned the doctor himself wasn't on time, which meant she would have to sit and wait with a crying baby for longer than expected. She had spent maybe ten minutes at the reception before she wished she had taken up Kara's offer to tag along. Liam never threw fights when Kara was the one holding him. The prick.</p><p>By the time Liam had to get his vaccines, the boy was crying so loud that Lena was half expecting social services to show up and take him away. It didn't happen, but Lena left the doctor's office two minutes away from starting to cry herself. She spent all the ride back trying to calm him down, bouncing him on her lap and cooing to him gently.</p><p>"Is he your son, Ms...?"</p><p>Lena looked over at the taxi driver with a deep frown and not an ounce of patience to answer obvious questions or engage herself in a conversation she had no intention of having. "Yes," she replied.</p><p>The man, a guy in his mid-thirties with short hair and a crooked smile, looked at her through the review mirror then. "I didn't catch your name."</p><p>Liam let a particularly loud cry against her ear and Lena squirmed in her seat. She noticed the man was still looking, probably wondering why on Earth he agreed to drive a woman and her screaming baby and cursing his entire life, so she decided to give him something else to think about. "Luthor. If you make it back to my place in two minutes, I will pay you double."</p><p>"On it, Ms. Luthor."</p><p>He made it in three but she doubled it the same because she was so relieved to be back that she was barely able to hold back her tears. Inside her apartment, Lena kicked off her shoes and walked straight to Liam's bedroom, where she sat on the comfortable armchair and tried to soothe him by pressing him against her chest. That was something that worked right after he was born - skin on skin contact - and it still did the trick. Her son was asleep in less than ten minutes and Lena almost cursed out loud.</p><p>"You wouldn’t do that if Kara was with us, would you?" she whispered with a sigh before putting him down on his crib. After crying for so long, he would probably be out for the rest of the morning.</p><p>Lena had just closed the door behind her when she heard a text message ping on her phone. She sighed, thinking it was Sam complaining about having to work with Cat Grant, but pulled her phone from her pocket all the same. Her friend would have to learn how to deal with the woman because Lena was in no mood to handle it now. Maybe it was a terrible, terrible idea to try to handle two companies at the same time while still taking care of a baby.</p><p>It wasn't Sam, surprisingly. Perhaps Cat and her killed each other already and saved her the headache. No, it was Kara. Inevitably, Lena's lips parted in a smile before she had even read the text.</p><p>
  <em>"Hey, is everything okay? Your heart is going like crazy"</em>
</p><p>So, Kara wasn't joking when she said she pays attention to her heartbeat. Rolling her eyes to herself, Lena typed an answer while walking to her library so she could get some work done while Liam slept.</p><p>
  <em>"You should be working. Not paying attention to my heartbeat, Supergirl. You have an article to write. But, yes, everything is fine. My son is a drama queen, that's all. Also, delete this text afterward, Supergirl"</em>
</p><p>Kara's reply took less than a minute, Lena had barely even crossed the library door when her phone pang again.</p><p>
  <em>"You can't ask me that! Impossible! But I will if that makes you uncomfortable. And tell Liam he won't be getting kisses if he doesn't behave! I called someone to go take a look at your door, by the way."</em>
</p><p>Smiling like a maniac, Lena set down behind her large wooden desk and pulled her phone close to type a reply.</p><p>
  <em>"Not uncomfortable. Do I get extra kisses for dealing with his drama?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You get all of my kisses... On Wednesday!"</em>
</p><p>Lena groaned when she remembered they had agreed to only have dinner again on Wednesday. What a stupid idea. Who came with that? It had to change because, after the morning she had, Lena needed Kara's cuddles tonight! She was about to say exactly that - knowing that the hero would agree in a blink - when she heard a knock on her door. She sighed while pushing herself up to go answer it, dropping her phone in the process.</p><p>"Alex?"</p><p>"Hey," the tall redhead greeted with a short wave while she pushed her dark sunglasses to the top of her head.</p><p>Arching one eyebrow, Lena leaned all her weight in one leg while she glanced at the woman up and down, her mind running a mile a minute to figure out what Kara's sister could possibly be doing at her door. "Is everything okay?"</p><p>The older woman nodded. "Yeah, yeah. My sister is an idiot though." She sighed and raised her hand that was holding a brown paper folder. "She forgot to ask you to sign a few docs. They're some NDA's for the DEO about the whole secret identity thing."</p><p>"Oh," Lena frowned but took a step to the side to let some room for Alex to walk in. The woman took the silent invitation and slip inside her apartment silently. It was a little weird to have the other woman around when they were alone. They had talked only a couple of times and, although she knew her friend was very smitten by the mysterious agent and that she was Kara's sister, Lena was under the impression that Alex wasn't very fond of her. Even so, she walked behind the woman with a polite smile. "Do you want anything to drink?"</p><p>"I'm fine. I'm just dropping this off," Alex waved her hand dismissively. "I was on my way to meet Kara for lunch."</p><p>Well, that explained why Alex was dropping off the missing files and not her girlfriend, even though Lena was still a little on edge by her sudden appearance. "I heard about you and Sam,” she commented softly, trying not to scare the woman away. Alex made a face but didn’t say anything else, so Lena kept talking. “I understand it might be hard for you as well. Sam is very... protective of me.”</p><p>“So I noticed.”</p><p>“Yes, well, she’s my best friend. She’s still a little mad about Kara leaving the hospital without telling me, even if I told her she can let it go already.”</p><p>Alex gave her a funny look, something between a glare and confusion. “Kara left because she heard your mother was coming to town. Hadn’t she told you about the things your mother did to her?”</p><p>Lena gulped. “She told me the basics.”</p><p>“Yes, well, I’m not surprised,” the redhead scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Lillian poisoned her. Kara almost died. But, of course, she wouldn’t make it look so bad to you. Did you really not know about any of that?”</p><p>“No, I didn’t,” Lena shook her head with a frown. “I knew Lillian was involved in some crimes, I just never thought...”</p><p>“You knew she was a criminal and you didn’t think about calling the Police?”</p><p>A little shocked, Lena quirked one eyebrow and crossed her arms. “I had no proof. And she’s my mother.”</p><p>“She’s still trying to wash the planet of all the aliens.”</p><p>“I didn’t know that,” she said slowly, emphasizing every word. She could see why Sam would call Alex a little stubborn.</p><p>“Whatever,” the Agent sighed and pushed a hand through her hair. “Anyway, I tried to tell Sam that Kara left because of Lillian but she wouldn’t let me explain.”</p><p>Lena smiled almost sadly at that. She could see the other woman was actually a bit down because of that. “I’m sure you will work this out.”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter,” Alex shrugged but the other woman could argue that it most certainly mattered if the way Alex’s eyes lost their light was any indication. “I will have to speak with her again to ask her to sign these papers as well. We will either kill each other or kill you and Kara, so you should pick your side quickly.”</p><p>“Two passionate women defending the things they believe,” the brunette teased. “How is that not an indication of something amazing?”</p><p>“Whatever you say, Lena. Just sign the papers so I can have my lunch break, please.”</p><p>Lena knew when to back down, so she did. “Since you're here, maybe you can answer me a question? Kara mentioned to me that you were trying to help your friend with her suit."</p><p>The redhead nodded. "I don't know much about the mechanics of it but I can take a look."</p><p>"Great." Lena smiled at the woman before turning on her heels to lead the way towards her kitchen. She had left the files of Mr. Scott's study on her computer because she still didn't have too much time to take a look at them - for too many reasons. "I was just reading the first pages and..." She was interrupted by a loud wailing coming from the other side of the apartment and she turned her head to offer Alex an apologetic smile. "Seems like someone woke up."</p><p>For the first time, the agent gave her a smile that looked truly honest. "Go take a look."</p><p>"Just a minute, I will be right back."</p><p>Liam had just woke up from his morning nap and he was apparently getting his lungs ready for a loud cry when Lena pushed his door open and walked straight at his crib. She gently scooped him up in her arms and kissed his cheek.</p><p>"Hey, my sweet boy. Are you hungry again?" In her arms, Liam seemed to calm down, lowering his cries to sniffles, so Lena snuggled him a bit closer. "Kara's sister is here. Can you wait a few minutes, my prince?"</p><p>Rocking him in her arms, Lena walked out of his room while humming softly at him. She was about to walk down the small step from the hallway when Alex came walking from her living room, holding her phone so tightly in her hand that Lena could see her knuckles go white.</p><p>"I have to go," the woman declared sharply.</p><p>Lena quirked one eyebrow. "Is everything okay?" She could imagine that maybe Alex got a call and Kara was in trouble, if that's how she was reacting, and her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach.</p><p>Alex, though, nodded only once. "Yes. I'm meeting Kara for lunch and she's waiting."</p><p>"Oh," frowning, Lena glanced for a brief second at the baby in her arms. "Okay."</p><p>Without another word, Alex turned around and stormed out her apartment like the devil was chasing her.</p><p>And Lena couldn't help but think that she was the devil.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Alex: What is inside this envelope?<br/>Lena: They're either naked pictures of Kara or naked pictures of my mother.<br/>Alex: ... So, we're playing Russian roulette?<br/>Mon-El: Hey, what's inside this thing?<br/>Lena: Naked pictures of Lillian or Kara.<br/>Mon-El: ... Can I see both?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chain Reaction</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here we have another chapter! And I'm sorry to inform you guys of this, but I'm leaving town for a few days. It's a Holliday here in my country, so I will take this time to travel to a friend's house to rest my mind and not think about things that aren't related to our stupid jokes. Don't worry, I will be back on Tuesday! This is a last-minute decision I made, I literally bought the tickets out of the blue sky, so I didn't have enough time to prepare chapters to post, for that I apologize. But you should think positively: Once I'm back, I will be renewed and ready to keep this show rolling.</p><p>Also, to my helper, thank for the cookie and for the help &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I saw it,” Alex’s voice was firm, loud in the otherwise quiet DEO’s quarters.</p><p>Kara kept shaking her head while typing away at one of the computers, trying to ignore her sister at the same time she tried to find the stupid report from the hangar invasion from a few weeks back because J’onn, apparently, said it was clear she wasn’t paying attention when she wrote it. "You don't know what you saw."</p><p>Alex scoffed so hard by her side that she felt the hot breath against the back of her neck. "I don't know what I saw?” The woman mocked. “Funny you mention it because I'm pretty sure of what I saw. It was right there!"</p><p>The blonde rolled her eyes. A few agents were walking around them, taking care of their own business, and trying to pretend they weren’t listening to Supergirl and Agent Danvers fighting over something they knew nothing about. J’onn was watching them from the top of the stairs, clearly waiting to interfere in the sister’s banter if needed, and Kara had the urge to ask him to get down and show her where she failed to write the report. He said some of the information didn’t check out with the Police report but it was pretty obvious it wouldn’t. She got inside first, she handled things and then the police just threw the criminals in jail.</p><p>And why, oh why, did Alex decide to investigate her girlfriend like that? Who gave her the right?</p><p>"What were you doing looking around her apartment like that anyway?" Kara asked and threw her hands in the air while trying to prove her point. Not only to Alex because she was also reading her report and it was correct, Rao! J’onn took her from her work at CatCo to see something that was correct.</p><p>Alex had crossed her arms at some point, her jaw was pressed together so tightly that Kara could have seen the tendons if she turned around. "I saw it across the room and decided to take a better look. I gave her the benefit of the doubt. God's sake! You invited that woman to enter your home!"</p><p>"You're wrong, Alex." Once again, Kara shook her head, determined not to allow her sister’s words to affect her. She found the Police report to find exactly where the Police decided to mess things up and she had no time to hear anyone saying bad things about Lena just because of her family. More so if that person was Alex.</p><p>"Oh, really?"</p><p>"Yes,” the blonde finally stopped, hitting her fists against the metal table and taking a deep breath in order to keep calm. “I'm sure there's an explanation she could have given you if you just asked her instead of making assumptions."</p><p>Her sister let out an exasperated huff, which Kara though was rich coming from her because Alex was the one being a pain in the ass, not the other way around. She had to check out the description of thirteen criminals because that’s how police reports work and her sister was not making it any easier. "What explanation could there possibly exist? She had an envelope with the Cadmus insignia inside her house!”</p><p>"You have no idea what it was talking about," Kara tried to argue. “You act like you would find Kryptonite inside the envelope.”</p><p>"It could be exactly that,” the Agent tried to draw Kara’s attention to the problem at hand – although she was the only one seeing a problem – by putting a hand on the woman’s forearm. The superhero turned around with a deep sigh escaping her lips. “We’re talking about Cadmus. We’re talking about Lillian Luthor. That was your name inside that envelope,” Alex paused to look around and she had the presence of mind to lower her voice when she spoke next. “Your real name.”</p><p>"Alex, I'm sure that's not what it looks like." Definitely frustrated now, Kara pulled her arm away from her sister’s grasp and put both hands against her hips, puffing her chest even if she knew it would do nothing to appease the redhead.</p><p>"How can you be so blind?!" When was the last time she saw Alex so mad? Mad enough that the vein on her forehead looked about to burst.</p><p>Which worked fine with her because Kara was also pissed. "Lena wouldn’t do something like that!"</p><p>"Stop protecting her because you want to get inside her pants, fuck!” Alex’s deep voice raised and J’onn finally decided it was time to intervene at the same time all the other agents started to quietly exit the room. If she wasn’t so angry, Kara could have worried about any of them hearing their discussion. “She's trying to get you!"</p><p>"Alex,” J’onn warned in a whisper.</p><p>"No!” Alex shook her head almost violently. “This already went too far! We had no reason to doubt her before but now, after what I saw, I can't let you keep protecting her like that!"</p><p>Thirteen criminals? "How did you get inside?" Thirteen criminals?</p><p>Alex paused, grimaced and glared at her like she was crazy. "What?"</p><p>"How did you get inside her apartment?" Kara turned around to face the computer again, to make sure she had seen the correct information before. There it was, thirteen.</p><p>"I knocked,” her sister replied with a scoff and narrowed her eyes. “What do you think? You think I just invaded like you?"</p><p>Now distracted, Kara barely gave any attention to her own answer. "We talked and we worked that out."</p><p>"Supergirl?” J’onn must have sensed something was wrong because he lost all the warning from his voice and became worried instead. He approached her right side to look over her shoulder but the hero was too busy reading descriptions. Tall, short, blond, dark eyes, it all matched.</p><p>"There's supposed to be a doorman in her building,” she explained in a rush. “You're not authorized to go up unless he types a password. The elevator doesn't work otherwise."</p><p>"It worked just fine,” Alex contested. “I just pressed a button."</p><p>Kara shook her head as sheer panic started to rise from her the pit of her stomach. "That's not supposed to happen."</p><p>"What are you saying, Kara?" The tall martian asked gently.</p><p>"Something isn't right.”</p><p>At hearing that, Alex sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I know you don't want to believe that Lena is like her family, but you have to face the facts, Kara."</p><p>Just when she was about to start another fight with her sister, Brainy walked over, eating what appeared to be a donut as though he couldn’t feel the tense air of the room – which he probably couldn’t since he lacked any social skills. "Did you guys hear the news? The old headquarters for Luthor Corporation was invaded last night. Police were called by the neighbors because they heard the alarms going off. They found no one but they checked the images and there was a man there."</p><p>"Something isn't right,” Kara repeated, throwing her sister a pointed look before turning to look at the other alien again. “Did you watch the images?”</p><p>“Yep.”</p><p>“Was the guy tall, dark hair, dark eyes, kind of looked like he could be from the mob?”</p><p>Brainy frowned at her and took another bite from his donut before answering. “The images were bad. You know, Earth has a gigantic variety of technology. Not as many as other planets, of course, but more than most and you guys can’t make a security camera that allows us to see anything. I could start working on a project to solve that if...”</p><p>“Brainy,” she interrupted him quite impatiently. “Can you obtain the images from Luthor Corporation for me? I also need the images from that bank robbery that happened a couple of months ago.”</p><p>“Supergirl, where are we going with this?” Alex asked, even though she made no indication to stop Brainy from following the direct orders.</p><p>“I have reasons to believe that those things are connected. Well, a lot of things are connected.” She didn’t worry about explaining it since Brainy had turned the computer screen so she could take a look with the other two people. “Here, do you see this? The images on the bank caught eleven robbers, but we only arrested ten. The night at the hangar, I counted fourteen, but the Police report only shows thirteen of them. And now the break-in into the old Luthor Corporation headquarters. Something is up. We need to find what connects those things."</p><p>Kara wasn’t even done talking before J’onn was nudging Brainy’s ribs so he would start working to find things that could happen. The guy, a technology genius among other things, had no problem accessing private files and he wasn’t afraid of being arrested in case he saw something he shouldn’t. Which worked perfectly fine for them because they needed to see some very private files from the government. While he did his own research, Alex walked over to the other computer and started working on her way of finding things while Kara leaned over against the table, placing both hands against the cold surface, staring into the distance as her brain worked to crack down every question that popped inside her head.</p><p>"There was a safe in the bank under the name of Jorge Fawaray. He passed away in 2013 after a car accident but, before that, he worked for Luthor Corporation for many years. Many believe he was Lex's right arm in many of his operations," Brainy recited from the pieces of information he managed to gather.</p><p>Kara nodded along with his words and sighed, but Alex was faster when she decided to ask, "this is about Lex. But how? He's been in jail for almost two years now."</p><p>J’onn, who had his arms crossed and a deep frown while staring at the floor, shook his head. "We don't know if Lex was the one who sent them to the bank or to the hangar or not, but they were clearly looking for something."</p><p>"But what?" Alex voiced the thousand dollar question.</p><p>"We have no idea,” J’onn sighed and picked up one of the files spread over the table. “The forensics didn't find anything unusual. All the money was recovered from the bank and nothing was missing from the hangar. They're still working on the Luthor Corporation building but they have no clue what was even there since it got abandoned." The man took a huge intake of breath like he was trying to make sense of things. Kara could relate to him on a very personal level. "Someone should give Kal a call, maybe he will know something. Lex and him have a long history.”</p><p>Alex nodded, her federal agent side screaming. “He’s the one who sent Lex to jail, after all.”</p><p>J’onn and Alex shared a look across the round table, and Kara felt her heart sink like a rock. She knew that look. It was the look they shared when they were about to do something Kara wouldn’t like. She hated that look.</p><p>As expected, J’onn looked straight at her next and pointed a finger to her direction. "You do that.” Kara almost groaned because talking with Kal was like being punched in the stomach sometimes. The man was not only impossible to reach, but he was also very eager to pretend he wasn’t a freaking alien. “I will call the commander from the local police to ask him about the searches on the Luthor Corporation invasion. Agent Danvers, call the feds and ask them how Lex is enjoying his time in prison. See if he got any visitors since his last day in court. Agent Dox, keep searching, maybe you can find something else.”</p><p>Kara didn’t know why she expected Alex to just accept it and keep moving because, of course, her sister wasn’t done talking just yet. "Someone needs to keep an eye out on Lena,” the redhead declared.</p><p>"Alex!" The hero gasped, although the single word was filled with anger.</p><p>Alex raised one hand as though she was asking the blonde to wait or calm down – both of which Kara had no interest in doing, not when Alex was being so irrational. "She might be involved. If you didn't care so much about her, you would agree with me. We can't rule her out yet just because you have the conviction that she didn't do anything."</p><p>Grinding her teeth so hard that she felt the muscles of her neck cramp. "She didn't do anything."</p><p>"You don't know that," Alex replied and, even if she didn’t look as mad, Kara knew her enough to know her sister was two or three words away from snapping at her.</p><p>Good. It would give her reasons to snap back.</p><p>"Guys?" Brainy tried to call their attention, his voice sounding calm just below the storm happening above their head.</p><p>"Stop saying that,” the superhero almost pleaded, and then the metal table bent under her fingers like it was made of butter. She felt the metal twist and bend, the loud scream from it filling the quarters and drawing attention from every other agent in the room. She knew only a few of them – Vasquez being one of them – but she would care about it later. “I know Lena! And I trust her!"</p><p>Scoffing like she couldn’t possibly believe what she was hearing, Alex sounded almost desperate. "Do you trust her with your <em>life</em>?"</p><p>Kara paused. Not because she wasn’t sure about her answer, but because she wanted to meet her sister’s dark eyes when she responded to that. "... Yes, Yes, I do."</p><p>"Guys?" Brainy tried again.</p><p>The Agent’s face melted from the anger and she just looked hopeless, desolate even. "Kara."</p><p>"Guys!"</p><p>"What is it, Brainy?" Not the person Kara wanted to snap at but the poor guy was getting in the middle of something explosive and he was due to get some of the fuel. She turned her head to look at him and let go of the now ruined table, choosing to cross her arms instead.</p><p>"Lena is missing,” he declared without looking up from his computer and Kara felt like he had just ripped the carpet from beneath her feet. And now she was falling, and falling, and falling, and she wasn’t sure anyone would be able to get her. “So is her son. Samantha Arias just called the Police to report their disappearance."</p><p>"I saw them an hour ago," Alex was fast to deny his words. If Kara didn’t feel so empty inside, that could have been the thing that pushed her over the edge to yell at her sister.</p><p>Silence fell around them. J’onn, who had been quiet for a while, was just breathing in and out like there was nothing wrong in the world. Brainy was still reading the things on his computer as though he couldn’t understand the commotion. Alex was just standing there and staring at Kara, waiting probably.</p><p>Waiting for what, Kara wasn’t sure. Because she wasn’t sure what she was even feeling at that moment, let alone what she should do, or how she was supposed to react to the news. She felt dull, suddenly pulled back to a pod stuck off course for 24 years, alone and in silence. She felt desperate also, afraid of being alone, afraid of what could happen. Of what <em>would </em>happen.</p><p>"The plan is still the same," the martian simply said after the long pause and that’s what brought Kara back.</p><p>She snapped her head at him, her eyes going wide as panic rose and spread like living fire. "No! I need to go find them!"</p><p>The older man’s glare was clear, and Kara could almost feel the victory Alex must have felt. "If you're right and she has nothing to do with this, we're still going to need to find out what Lex is up to. You need to call Clark and ask for his help."</p><p>"They might be in danger," Kara whimpered. There was a pang in her chest, so hard that it almost punched all air from her lungs.</p><p>"You have no idea where they are,” J’onn argued. “Clark might know something. Give him a call. We will see what else we can find."</p><p>Kal didn’t pick up the first time she called. She tried again, and again, and again, but nothing changed no matter how hard she tried. Around her, everyone seemed to be set on their job, doing things, moving, getting work done. However, Kara couldn’t even make a stupid phone call. And how was she supposed to concentrate when she had no idea where Lena was? She was assuming Lillian was the cause of her disappearance, and, considering her long history with the older Luthor, the blonde didn’t even want to think about what the crazy woman was thinking.</p><p>Kara was about to crush the stupid phone and just fly over to meet Kal in person when Alex ended her own call with a deep sigh, her shoulders dropping. “Lex has escaped jail.”</p><p>They were wrong. Lex wasn’t commanding everything from jail. He wasn’t even in jail anymore. Was he the one who took Lena and Liam away? Rao, that would be even worse, wouldn’t it?</p><p>“You said Alex wasn’t supposed to be able to walk on her floor like that,” J’onn pointed out when no one else said a thing. “Brainy, can you get the images from Ms. Luthor’s building?”</p><p>“She has her own personal security system,” the blonde informed. “She has cameras around her building and inside her apartment.”</p><p>“Get those as well, Dox.”</p><p>While Brainy tried to break in to access Lena’s system, Kara kept trying to reach out to Kal. Vasquez had joined a discussion with J’onn and Alex was called away by some other agent. Each second felt like a jab to her stomach. Every moment made her heart sink a bit lower. The only thing stopping her from breaking doors and throwing her fists was the fact that she still had no idea what was going on. Bad things could happen to Lena if Kara couldn’t keep herself under control.</p><p>“I got something.”</p><p>Kara was standing behind Brainy and looking over his shoulder in a flash, her eyes quickly scanning the screen while trying to make sense of it. She saw a man – tall, dark hair, muscled body – approaching the building wearing ridiculous sunglasses and smoking a cigarette before he took a sharp turn to enter through the front door.</p><p>“I know him,” she whispered, mostly to herself. “I saw him in the park.”</p><p>Kara could easily remember him now - leaning against a tree, smoking a cigarette, looking at the ducks. Although, now that she thought about it, the ducks probably weren’t the thing he was looking at.</p><p>The image on the screen cut to show the man approaching the doorman, sitting quietly behind his desk. They talked for a few minutes before the man handed him an envelope that screamed “blackmail”. The mysterious man walked away shortly after and the doorman went back to work like there was nothing wrong.</p><p>“When was it?”</p><p>“Last night,” Brainy pointed at the time stamp located on the left corner and Kara followed his movement.</p><p>That happened ten or fifteen minutes after she received a call from Alex saying she needed to talk about her fight with Sam. The man had shown up just before Kara left and blackmailed the doorman. If she had stayed for a while longer, maybe she could have stopped all this madness.</p><p>To her surprise though, the image cut again and, this time, it showed Lillian Luthor walking inside the building like she was the Queen of England. She didn’t even glance at the man behind the desk and he looked up at her for only a second before pressing a few keys on the panel to allow her to use the elevator. No one needed to be a genius to know where Lillian was going.</p><p>Rao’s sake. Lillian had visited Lena last night. It made sense since Alex saw a file with the Cadmus logo on Lena’s coffee table, but it was still jarring to have the confirmation that the Luthor matriarch had so easily walked into Lena’s life like that. All she had to do was blackmail the doorman? Really? How much effort did she even have to put into that?</p><p>Kara kept watching until, six minutes later, Lillian walked past the reception desk again and left. She knew Lena only had cameras in Liam’s bedroom, thanks to her very good baby monitor device, and, although it ate her inside to know if Lillia had gone anywhere near the baby, she didn’t think she had the stomach to see it. Instead, she clenched her hands into tight fists and sighed.</p><p>“Is there anything else?”</p><p>“Yes. The doorman never showed up to work this morning.”</p><p>“Lillian must have paid him to stay away,” she commented.</p><p>“Then we have Agent Danvers showing up. The elevator’s security system, with the code, wasn’t active anymore. I believe someone turned it off at some point,” Brainy typed some other things and another video started. This time, Kara’s blood went cold inside her veins. “Probably to allow someone else to enter. Agent Danvers just got there first.”</p><p>There he was. Lex Luthor. Walking like a free man, wearing a light suit, smiling at no one while making his way to the elevator. Just like Lillian, and Alex, he just walked inside, the doors closed, and he was gone. “Show me when the elevator reaches the floor.”</p><p>Brainy pushed another button, the video cut, and then she saw Lex standing in front of Lena’s door. Kara could imagine Lena walking inside her apartment, already distressed by Lillian’s visit and Alex’s appearance, opening her door thinking it was the person Kara had sent to fix her door. It was clear by the look on the woman’s face that she had no idea what was waiting for her on the other side because, as soon as her eyes spotted her own brother, her polite smile fell and she just looked shell-shocked.</p><p>Then Lex walked inside, pushing past her, and there was nothing else to see.</p><p>The blonde gulped rather loudly, her fingernails digging and scratching on her palm. “Did you get the images from inside?” she asked, barely recognizing her own voice. It was shaky, without any of the strength she was so well known for.</p><p>The other alien nodded but remained silent while typing away on his computer. Soon after, she saw a less clear image, all black and white, barely visible but, without a doubt, there was Lex inside Liam’s room, holding the baby in his arms while Lena hovered behind him in utter panic. Her hands were trying to reach out for her son at the same time her arms waved around. She was saying something, things that Kara couldn’t hear or understand, however, Lex remained impassive.</p><p>There wasn’t much else to see. Lex held Liam for a few more seconds before turning around to hand him over, and Kara could almost feel the relief that washed over Lena through the screen. She also felt relief deep in her bones to see the baby in his mother’s arms again. Lex left shortly after, and Kara couldn’t bear to watch more of it. If Lena was going to cry, she couldn’t see it.</p><p>Fortunately, her phone rang a second later. She picked it up, pressed it against her ear, and started talking without missing a breath. "Kal, I need your help. Lex has escaped prison."</p><p>There was a pause – too long to the situation she was in. “<em>What?"</em></p><p>Impatient, Kara pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yes. He has escaped but we were only now informed."</p><p>Her cousin paused again, taking his precious time to answer. The problem being that he did that by asking another question. <em>"What do you mean only now?"</em></p><p>"He’s probably blackmailing people inside the Police to keep things under wraps. We just found out, we don’t even know for how long he has been out.”</p><p>
  <em>"Jesus, Kara."</em>
</p><p>"There's more,” Kara pushed herself to keep walking, to not stare back at the screen where Lena was holding baby Liam in her arms. She soon found herself walking out of the headquarters, passing hallways and ignoring everyone else around her. “We have reasons to believe that he's up on something."</p><p><em>"When isn't he?"</em> Kal sighed deeply and in clear frustration.</p><p>"A couple of weird things happened in the last few months and we believe they're all connected to him,” she did her best to explain. “There was a bank robbery, a group of criminals invaded an abandoned hangar at the marina and, just last night, someone invaded Luthor Corporation’s old building.” It was her turn to pause, think over her words, before her shoulders dropped in defeat. “He also kidnapped his sister."</p><p>
  <em>"His sister? He kidnapped Lena?"</em>
</p><p>"You know Lena?"</p><p><em>"Well, not personally.”</em> Kara pushed a door open and she suddenly found herself standing at one of the training rooms. It was empty, there was no one around, and there was a punching bag hanging right in the middle. That’s where she went<em>. “Lex had told me about her though. Are you sure he kidnapped her?"</em></p><p>"Yes. He also took her son." All it took was one punch and the bag flew across the room so fast that it was just a blur until it hit the wall, leaving a nasty dent.</p><p>Kal must have heard the noise it made because he hesitated again. <em>"... Okay. Okay. What else do you know?"</em></p><p>"Lillian Luthor is in town.” They should have more punching bags ready to be punched hanging around, that’s for sure. “But that's all. We have no idea what they want or what they're trying to get."</p><p>
  <em>"I might have an idea. I hope I'm wrong but..."</em>
</p><p>The little hope she felt was quickly muffled by the fear that rose within her chest. It didn’t sound good at all. "Kal."</p><p>Her cousin took a deep breath before talking again. <em>"Back when Lex and I were still on good terms, I showed him things I shouldn't have. I admit what I did was wrong and put both of us in danger, but I never thought..."</em></p><p>Kara wished she could just squeeze the answers out of him. Maybe punch it. "Kal, you need to speak faster than that. Lena and Liam are in danger. I need to know everything I can."</p><p>
  <em>"I showed Lex the Fortress of Solitude and let him read some of the documents we have about Krypton there. Some very dangerous information to share with anyone. In one of those files, it said how to create a substance capable of transforming and becoming a type of fungus or a virus. It was so toxic though, that it wouldn’t affect only Kryptonians. It would affect every alien, in one way or another."</em>
</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>
  <em>"Well, among other very bad things, it would cause death, although we can't know all the possible consequences of this substance since it was never used."</em>
</p><p>Holy Rao.</p><p>Kara closed her eyes and tried to suppress the urge to punch a hole on the wall. "What happened to it?"</p><p><em>"It never existed,”</em> Kal replied. It was a small relief. <em>“The study showed how to create it but a few things were needed. Those things existed at the Fortress and, at the time, Lex said it was too dangerous to keep it in the same environment as the study itself, so we agreed to spread it."</em></p><p>"Please, tell me you didn’t allow Lex to touch any of it." She already knew the answer to that.</p><p><em>"I can't say that, unfortunately.”</em> Kal sounded apologetic about it, at least. <em>“The substance is pretty simple, only three things needed. I trusted Lex with my life, Kara. Quite literally. We took one to the marina, the other one, a very volatile chemical substance, would be kept at the labs on Luthor Corporation, and the last one was going to be handed to a friend of his under the impression that it was a gift."</em></p><p>The abandoned hangar invasion; the break-in at Luthor Corporation; the bank robbery.</p><p>"What about the study?"</p><p>Kara could almost hear Kal’s mind working as he tried to make sense of all of it as well. She wanted to tell him that some things weren’t meant to be shared, that he couldn’t just take a crazy man to a place that held all of their family’s secrets and just not tell anyone. And she was worried about what he would think when he found out about Lena and her. Well, he really wasn’t the one who could judge now, was he?</p><p>
  <em>"It never left the Fortress. Of that, I'm sure. It was still there when I added the defenses against anyone with Luthor's blood. He wouldn’t be able to get there after that."</em>
</p><p>"But it looks like he's after those substances to create that virus,” the female hero argued. “How can he do that without the original research?"</p><p>
  <em>"Without the files? He would need someone who knows a lot about biomedical engineering to figure it out and also a tech expert. Lex is a genius but he wouldn’t be able to do it alone."</em>
</p><p>"That's why he kidnapped Lena." Not that she saw him taking Lena with him. Maybe Lex didn’t grab her by the arm with a bag over her head, but Kara was still sure that Lena didn’t go willingly.</p><p>
  <em>"Perhaps. Unless she was involved the whole time."</em>
</p><p>Not another one. Kara wanted to scream in frustration, even though it didn’t sound like Kal was making any accusations. He was just giving out facts. "If she was, which she isn't, don't you think he would tell her about the Fortress so she could grab the files? It would make things way easier for them."</p><p>
  <em>"I put the defenses against Luthors up, remember?"</em>
</p><p>"But she's not really a Luthor. I mean, it recognizes Luthor blood and Lena is adopted."</p><p><em>"She's not. Lionel is her biological father,”</em> Kal replied, to which Kara almost choked on her saliva.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>
  <em>"Yes. Lex even met her mother right after she was born. Lionel had an affair with a woman he met on one of his business trips and Lena was the result of it."</em>
</p><p>Shaking her head, Kara couldn’t help but stand there and let her mouth hang open in shock. "Rao. She has no idea."</p><p><em>"How do you know about what she knows?"</em> Kal asked and he sounded truly confused by it.</p><p>"It doesn't matter right now, Kal. Do you know anything else? Where can he be? He must have a place to hide or something."</p><p>The man sighed. "<em>I don't know, Kara. All the places he owned were sold after he was arrested. Maybe somewhere Lillian owns, but then I wouldn’t know anything about it."</em></p><p>"Okay, fine. I have to go and tell J'onn all of this." J’onn was usually the one with the best plans, even if Kara didn’t agree with them sometimes.</p><p>
  <em>"I will fly in as soon as I can to help, Kara."</em>
</p><p>Feeling a bit too bitter about the situation, Kara almost told him he had already done enough. Instead, she exhaled. "Thank you."</p><p>Kara had just pushed the door open, a bit more harshly than needed, when she literally stumbled upon something. No. Someone. Maggie.</p><p>“Maggie?”</p><p>“Hey, little Danvers,” the shorter woman gave her a smile, flashing her dimples, as though she walked inside the DEO every other day.</p><p>They hadn’t seen each other for over a year though. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>“Well,” Maggie looked over her shoulder to where Alex was standing before she smiled back at the blonde. “I received a call from an old informant yesterday. He was sure he had seen Lex Luthor walking on the street, so I decided to come to tell you this in person and offer my help.” She glanced at Alex again. “Imagine my surprise when Alex told me you’re already after him.”</p><p>Kara nodded, not particularly interested in how Maggie ended up there if she was going to help them, then she started walking down the hallway as fast as she could without using her powers or running. “We need to find J’onn. I spoke with Kal.”</p><p>“What did he say?” her sister asked.</p><p>“Nothing good.”</p><p>Everyone could agree with her on that after she was done telling them about what Kal shared with her. Maggie used some colorful words to describe her feelings and, although Kara rarey cursed, she could agree with most of them.</p><p>"We need to go to the Fortress to get these files,” J’onn announced once she was done explaining everything. “If Lex manages to make this biological weapon, we need to be prepared to make an antidote."</p><p>Kara could agree with that. "You go, I need to find Lena."</p><p>"You're not going to find her alone, Kara,” Alex quickly stepped in to, once again, go against her idea.</p><p>"Someone needs to search for her and no one here is giving a fuck!" Frustration was finally winning over her.</p><p>"We are, but we need to think on the big picture here,” her sister ran a hand through her red hair and frowned. “If we have the files, we will know how to defeat Lex."</p><p>"Meanwhile, he has Liam and Lena locked away somewhere!” Kara had already broken one table, she didn’t need a repeat of that, but, Rao, she wanted to hit her fists against something again. “He might hurt them!"</p><p>"Kara, I understand your frustration..."</p><p>"No, you don't! If something happens to them, I wouldn’t be able to survive it, J'onn. So, I will go out and I will look for them with or without you."</p><p>“Do you know where this place is?” Maggie asked suddenly, interrupting whatever answer Alex was about to give her.</p><p>“I took her there once,” Kara responded. “Just use a GPS if needed.”</p><p>Maggie nodded and looked over at Vasquez, who had become a part of the discussion at some point. “Can you pilot?”</p><p>“Air force,” the Agent declared proudly with a short nod.</p><p>“Okay. Alex and I will go to this Fortress to grab the files.” Kara was about to grab Maggie’s face and kiss her when the woman spoke again. “Supergirl, you stay here.”</p><p>J’onn agreed with her fairly quickly because he didn’t even give her time to protest. “Yes. This way I can keep an eye on you to make sure you won’t do anything stupid. Agent Danvers and Sawyer can go.”</p><p>“I can’t just stay here and do nothing!”</p><p>“You can call Ms. Arias and let her know we’re already looking for her friend.</p><p>“J’onn, you can’t possibly expect me to stay here and...”</p><p>The man arched one eyebrow at her and declared with his deep voice coming from the back of his throat, “you will. Unless you want me to lock you in.”</p><p>Alex, Maggie and Vasquez weren’t even out of the door yet before Kara started to make plans of how to escape. All she knew is that she would save Lena and Liam, no matter what. She did wait until Brainy distracted J’onn with something else he found on the security camera images before turning around and exiting the DEO faster than anyone could keep up with.</p><p>They were closer to knowing the why but they still had no idea where Lex was or where he was keeping Lena and her son. Kara had a plan formed inside her mind and she started executing it as soon as the sunlight hit her face when she set foot outside the DEO building. People might think Supergirl had gone crazy but she stood there in the middle of the sidewalk and closed her eyes. She extended her senses, trying to push everything that wasn’t important to the back of her mind – cars, birds, conversation, telephones.</p><p>It was a little tricky because she had no idea what direction to follow – no idea where to look to. However, she heard it. Lena’s heartbeat, very far away from where she was, just a muffled noise between the cacophony of sounds. Without thinking twice, Kara bent her knees before pushing herself up and flying as fast as she could.</p><p>The sound got closer and closer as she approached the location Lena was being held captive – because she was sure Lena wasn’t there because she wanted to be – and it became the only thing Kara could hear. The only thing she could concentrate on. The only thing that mattered.</p><p>Kara had no idea for how long she flew, or how far she had gone, but she finally reached what appeared to be just another abandoned building outside town. Somewhere. Kara wasn’t even sure they were still in National City. It didn’t really matter because she found Lena. She was just behind that door. She could open it and rescue Lena and Liam, bring them home and everything would be fi...</p><p>She hadn’t realized she had actually pushed the door open, neither that she had stepped in, but she definitely felt when she stepped on something that wasn’t exactly flat. Kara frowned, looked down at her feet, and then almost rolled her eyes to herself. She would have to admit that it was a little stupid to fall for that trap. Now that she had her head clear, she could see where she went wrong.</p><p>The hero didn’t have time to think it over, or turn around, or run. The chain she had stepped on was triggered by the movement, something clicked somewhere in the room, and then suddenly the chain was moving. It just brushed against her for a moment before it closed full-force around her ankle. Kara could feel it burning where the metal touched her leg, even through her suit, and she just knew they weren’t normal chains – probably made with Kryptonite or the green rock was hidden somewhere else in the room, either way, it did the trick.</p><p>The chain didn’t do anything else for a while, it just moved by its own accord, the noise filling the room and making Kara’s stomach drop. Then, suddenly, although the entire exchange must have taken less than two seconds, it yanked forward, bringing Kara with her. The hero’s foot was swept from the floor, then the other one, and then she wasn’t even standing anymore. Kara found herself hanging upside down in the middle of the room inside a building she had no idea where it was, feeling the effects of Kryptonite starting to get to her, without telling anyone where she was going.</p><p>Well.</p><p>Fuck.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*If Lex kidnaps Kara*<br/>Kara: What's this?<br/>Lex: It's a yellow button that you shouldn't touch.<br/>Kara: What about this?<br/>Lex: It's a toxin that can kill this entire city in a second.<br/>Kara: ... And this?<br/>Lex: Can you please stop touching things?<br/>Kara: But everything looks so interesting! What about that thing over there?<br/>Lex: What thing?<br/>Kara: That thing on the ceiling.<br/>Lex: There's nothing on the ceiling, Supergirl.<br/>Kara: Are you sure?<br/>Lex: I'm looking at it right now! There's nothing there.<br/>Kara: Okay... And what about this button?<br/>Lex: It says 'Don't touch' and you're supposed to obey that.<br/>Kara: But what happens if I touch it?<br/>Lex: I swear... I should have kidnapped literally anyone else.<br/>Kara: I'm actually offended by that.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. We Fucked Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Guess who's back?<br/>I'm sorry for the wait! I came back from my trip yesterday. It was amazing, let me tell you that. Thank you for everyone who wished me a good trip and who understood my need for a break! Like I said prior to this, I probably won't be posting everyday like I used to, but I won't take as long either.<br/>Hope you can all enjoy this chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You should wait here, Agent Vasquez,” Alex said while jumping the stairs to get out of the DEO jet. The plane was small but fast as Hell, so, following the GPS and the instructions J’onn gave them, they were able to reach the Fortress of Solitude in no time.</p><p>Alex had visited the Fortress only once when Kara decided she finally wanted to take a look at the place that held so many things about her dead planet. She asked Alex to tag along, afraid to go alone and not being capable of dealing with the emotions by herself, but it still looked exactly the same. A majestic sanctuary located between the snowy mountains in the Arctic, although she had no idea where exactly that was.</p><p>From the outside, it looked like someone picked up the sharpest pieces of ice and pilled them together to create a scary looking structure. Alex wasn’t sure if it was indeed ice or some type of crystal. What she did know was that the place was damn cold. That’s why she tugged her jacket closer to her body while waiting for Maggie to join her outside.</p><p>“Vasquez said she will leave in ten minutes with or without us,” Maggie had a smile despite the fact that she looked even smaller with the big, heavy coat she was wearing. “Something about getting our asses frozen.”</p><p>Alex scoffed. “Let’s get moving then.”</p><p>The Fortress could be accessed usually only by a special key that only Superman or Kara could use – something about it being extremely heavy – but J’onn had figured out a way to enter the place when none of them were available. She walked to the huge, yet weird looking door, carved on the ice and patted it almost proudly. The door made a sound, as though it was trying to read whoever dared to touch it, before it gave a single ping and opened until the door was just ajar. Having Kal taught him how to program who could and couldn’t walk inside the Fortress proved to be a wonderful idea in the end.</p><p>“Here,” she declared. “Do you want to go first?”</p><p>Maggie quirked one eyebrow while staring up at her before rolling her eyes. “Not the time to be a gentleman, Danvers. You go first, then I will wait a minute and call out for you. If you didn’t die, I will go inside.”</p><p>The redhead smirked. “Are you afraid?”</p><p>“We only have eight minutes now.”</p><p>Alex rolled her eyes, scoffed, and then squeezed herself through the narrow opening, the door being too heavy for her to push it open without having super strength. The Fortress was huge from the inside, even though it didn’t have any division. It was just a big open space built in ice or crystal with a few things hanging around. She gave it a quick look to make sure there would be no surprises before she reached her hand out and wiggled her fingers.</p><p>“Come on.”</p><p>“I’m waiting for that minute yet.”</p><p>Alex couldn’t help but chuckle. “Then we will only have seven minutes and I have no idea where those files are.”</p><p>“Fine,” Maggie groaned and, a second later, their hands touched. Maggie wasn’t wearing gloves so she used Alex’s hand to support herself while walking in, avoiding touching the ice as she went. Once inside, she let go of Alex’s hand and looked around with wide eyes. “Damn.” She whistled and pursed her lips downwards. “That’s quite impressive.”</p><p>“I forgot how stupid this place is. A place named Fortress of Solitude built in the middle of nowhere and made out of ice,” Alex scoffed. “Tell me about the drama.”</p><p>“As far as I remember, drama runs in the Super blood,” Maggie remarked before clapping her hands once. “Where do we start?”</p><p>“I go left, you go right.”</p><p>“I am always right,” the shorter woman shrugged, making no effort to hide her smirk before she walked to the direction Alex pointed at.</p><p>“You’re infuriating.” The agent sighed, rolled her eyes, and walked in the opposite direction. She knew there were guns spread around, all types of weapons, things she could never even understand, and tons of papers that she doubts Clark gave a second glance after shoving it inside the Fortress, so she knew it would be a little hard to find what they were looking for.</p><p>“Have you met yourself, Danvers?” Maggie chanted from across the room and, when Alex turned around to glare at her, she was holding what looked like a type of watch, turning it around to look at it from different angles. She placed it back after a moment and Alex went back to her task after making sure Maggie wasn’t going to blow them up because she wasn’t able to keep her hands to herself. "Care to explain why Little Danvers is acting like she just lost her puppy?"</p><p>The redhead sighed deeply and ran her tongue inside her cheek while measuring what she could or couldn’t say. Even if Maggie and her didn’t work out and they ended up calling off their engagement, she still trusted the other woman – she wouldn’t have allowed her to come to a secret location with her otherwise. Deep down she knew Kara wouldn’t approve her gossiping about her life but, again, Kara did tons of shit she didn’t agree with.</p><p>"She got involved with the Luthor girl,” she replied finally.</p><p>Maggie hummed and something slammed behind her. Alex turned around to give it a look, but the other woman was acting all innocent and nothing looked out of place. Rolling her eyes to herself, Alex went back to opening briefcases. "Lex's sister,” the brunette commented instead of asking. “The one that got kidnapped?"</p><p>Alex nodded. "We don't know if she was really kidnapped. She may have gone willingly for all we know.” And then, because she was still worried and still mad about Kara’s life’s choices, she mumbled to herself, “I told Kara she shouldn’t trust that woman."</p><p>The place was either too quiet or she spoke higher than she initially thought because Maggie hummed again, longer this time. "Did she ever give her reasons not to?"</p><p>"She's giving tons of red flags now, isn't she?"</p><p>Alex couldn’t quite understand how Kara could simply trust someone like that. Not just anyone. Lex Luthor’s sister, Lillian Luthor’s daughter. Lena was a Luthor and there was no Luthor who could be trusted. Maybe Lena wasn’t as involved as the rest of her family at first but she certainly was now, wasn’t she? The envelope she found on top of Lena’s coffee table said as much.</p><p>The envelope had a Cadmus insígnia and it was filled with documents about Supergirl and Superman, their secret identities, their human life, their weakness, things to look out for. How they could interfere with the plan – although it didn’t say what exactly the “plan” was. And how to stop them from interfering. Explicit instructions on how to stop a Kryptonian if needed.</p><p>Even remembering the words made her bones go cold inside. Alex couldn’t believe someone her sister trusted so much had documents on how to end the Supers’ life. Alex couldn’t believe it herself either. How could she let Kara go on with this craziness? Maybe she just went too soft. Or maybe she got distracted with Sam and decided to ignore the red flags. Either way, she would never forgive herself if something happened to Kara because she wasn’t paying enough attention.</p><p>Apparently, Maggie still knew her better than most people, even after almost two years since their break, because she sighed and turned around with her arms crossed. Alex could see her from the corner of her eyes but she refused to look straight at Maggie, afraid of what she might see.</p><p>"Look, Alex, you're a good person, okay?” Her ex started and, for a brief second, Alex was standing in the middle of their shared apartment hearing that Maggie was sorry but they needed to call it all off. She brushed the memory away and picked another suitcase to look inside. “You're loyal and fierce, you're brave, you care so much about people, and you just have a protective nature inside. And that's great.”</p><p>Alex wanted to point out that it didn’t look like something great by the way Maggie was speaking. She pursed her lips though, to stop herself from saying anything, and frowned when the shorter woman kept talking. “Believe me, that was just one of the reasons why I loved you.” They both sighed at the same time but for different reasons. Alex sounded like she was bracing herself for what was about to come, to the ‘but’ she could hear before it was being said. Maggie, on the other hand, was just sad. “But you're so fucking stubborn. You're overprotective of Kara and you're so quick to judge sometimes. You never allow people to explain, you just go around assuming things because you always assume the worse of people and that's the most annoying thing about you.”</p><p>Kara used to say her worse quality was pushing people away. Eliza said once that she has a side of her that was reserved and kept people away. What Maggie was saying wasn’t exactly news to her. Even when they dated, they had other discussions about it, about how dedicated she was to her sister, but Alex just couldn’t see why it was a bad thing. She kept people away to avoid getting hurt. However, Kara didn’t have the same filter and she was open to so much harm. All Alex wanted was to find ways to protect her from that. Kara lost so much already.</p><p>“And you need to learn that Kara is a grown-ass woman, okay? You don't have to go around making decisions for her and it's not your job to keep her safe either. Kara can make her own choices and she will ask for your help, and your opinion, if she needs to.” Maggie sighed again, her shoulders dropping a bit. “And I get that watching her making mistakes may be scary but that's just life, Alex. People make mistakes and they hit walls all the time, that's what makes us learn and grow. She's your sister and she will always be your sister. She's not your job and she's not a kid."</p><p>Alex shook her head and kept moving a few things around, even though she wasn’t exactly looking anymore. "I worry. Kara is... Kara trusts in people so wholeheartedly and that scares me."</p><p>"Does she really?"</p><p>"What?" Frowning, the Agent finally turned around to face the other woman.</p><p>"Does Kara trust people the way you said <strike>it</strike>?” Maggie arched her eyebrows. “Or that's just how you see it?" In the end, she shrugged.</p><p>Alex scoffed. "If you knew what she did with that Luthor girl..."</p><p>"Kara is the complete opposite from you,” Maggie interrupted her without a care. It wasn’t gentle and her words weren’t sugar coated. “You assume the worse but Kara always assume that people are good. She sees good in everyone, which is a quality not many people have. But she doesn’t go around patting people on the shoulder and telling them her secret, does she? Kara knows how dangerous it might be just like the next person. You think that Kara can't protect herself but, Alex, she's the best option to do it. You can protect her during a fight, you can build shields and use a thousand guns, but I think it's time for you to see that Kara can take care of herself."</p><p>Well, Alex wanted to point out that Kara did tell her secret to a ridiculous number of people - Lucy and Winn, for example. At the same time, Maggie had a point. Kara worried more than anyone else about the people who knew about her secret identity and Alex knew that, at least. Even so, it was hard. "I hate it. So many bad things happened when she first came to the planet, when I wasn't there for her. People were mean at school, someone found out about her secret, and then dad..."</p><p>"You keep forgetting that Kara isn't that little alien who landed in your backyard anymore. She grew and she learned. And you will still be there for her if things go wrong. You just have to learn how to wait for her to ask for your help.” Then, Maggie winked and a small smile curled the corner of her lips making her dimples pop. “Did she ever hide anything from you?”</p><p>Alex sneered and shook her head. “I hate it when you act all smart.”</p><p>“Maybe that’s why we broke up.” She said it without any bitterness and her smile only grew, so Alex allowed herself to chuckle again. “You, more than anyone else, deserve to be loved. But you will never open your heart fully to someone while you’re still living your life around Kara. You will keep building walls and pushing people away with sticks, and not many people are as stubborn as I was to walk past those defenses.”</p><p>An image of Samantha Arias flashed in the back of her mind, and Alex was forced to duck her head to hide the blush that rose on her cheeks. “Sometimes I wonder if you annoyed me on purpose.”</p><p>“All the time,” Maggie smiled again. “Now, enough of this shit, we need to grab this stupid file because it's freezing in here. Do you have any idea where it is?"</p><p>"No,” the redhead sighed and frowned. “I don't even know what it looks like."</p><p>"Fine, we will just grab everything then." Maggie turned around and started piling up papers and suitcases on top of one of the ice tables.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Do you have another plan?” Maggie shrugged. “Let's take all of this so Superman can find the right one. It will go faster."</p><p>Well, it was indeed freezing and she had no doubt that Vasquez would leave in a minute if they didn’t show up soon, so Alex started doing the same. "Fine. Let's go."</p><p>They walked back to the aircraft with their arms filled with documents and other files while Vasquez glared at them for taking so long. The woman wasn’t wearing a coat warm enough but that was no one’s fault but hers. They sat back on the jet and Alex pulled the headphones to communicate with Vasquez to guide her back to National City when another voice sounded in the coms.</p><p>
  <em>"Alex."</em>
</p><p>"Yes, J'onn?"</p><p>
  <em>"Kara isn't answering our calls. We have reasons to believe she went after Lena."</em>
</p><p>She didn’t bother answering the man because there was nothing she could say that would make things better – she wanted to yell and pull the hair out of her head. "You were saying?" Alex looked over at Maggie.</p><p>"I never said your sister is a genius," the brunette mumbled while putting her seatbelt on.</p><p>"I'm going to kill her."</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Hanging upside down wasn't as fun as Kara remembered it being. Maybe it was the Kryptonite crawling inside her skin, burning her veins, and causing so much pain that she kind of wished to be thrown straight into the Sun instead. The chain tying her by her right ankle was tight, uncomfortable, and quite strong. Her left leg had passed by several stages since she got in that position - hanging, folded, stretched, but, most of all, dormant. Her arms were hanging down, her hands were close enough to the ground to let her know it was supposed to be exactly in that height to mock her. Her cape was pulling her down like an anchor, making it all even harder, and Kara was more pissed off than scared now.</p><p>Pissed because she was left alone for quite some time now and, no matter what she tried, she still couldn't get herself out of the chain, jump to her feet, and run to find Lena. Kara couldn’t erase that image from her brain of a scared Lena and an even more scared Liam. With Kryptonite contaminating her blood, her powers were dull, so Kara couldn't trace Lena's heartbeat, which only made things worse. She had no idea where Lex had taken her. She didn't even know where Liam was. If Lena was there, he most probably was as well and Kara couldn’t bear the idea of him being in any type of distress.</p><p>She needed to get out. That was all she could think. Free herself and get things moving. Maybe beat Lex down a little bit, but take everyone back home safely. The problem being the beginning of her plan: the freeing part.</p><p>Without her powers, she couldn’t break the chains, and the Kryptonite was strong enough to make it impossible to swing her body to grab the chain to climb it. Kara tried to reach the floor but it was too far away, and she tried to pull her feet. Nothing worked. She wasn't about to give up though. She just needed to think about something else.</p><p>"Look at that.”</p><p>Kara threw her leg and swung her body so fast that the metal of the chains clashed loudly. There, standing at the door Kara had walked in from, was Lex Luthor. The man was wearing an all-white suit and he had his hands stuffed inside his pockets like there was nothing wrong in the world.</p><p>“Mother tried to warn me we might need bigger traps.”</p><p>They were together in this. Lex and Lillian were working together. Of course, they were. It was almost stupid to consider, even for a second, that they weren’t. Kara tried not to show her surprise though, hiding it with a quirk of her lips. “Hope you’re not saying I need to lose some weight.”</p><p>Lex ignored her jab, choosing to walk closer to her. The door closed behind the man and the darkness fell around them for a few seconds before Lex flipped a switch and the room was bathed in light. Kara could see a door on the opposite wall and another one by the corner, with two small steps leading to it. There were some blue barrels at another corner, all the walls were dirty and moldy, and the hero could guess the place was abandoned for a few years now.</p><p>The Luthor walked around her once, his dark eyes studying the woman hanging by the ankle until he finally stopped in front of Kara with a growing smile. “I thought Kal would show up first. We hadn’t seen each other in a while, I thought he would want to see me after finding out I was out of the spa he put me in. Sorry if the chain is a bit too large for you.” Lex took a step closer, the ends of Kara’s cape touched his feet, and looked down at the blonde like he was a King staring down at his least important subjects. “Mother wasn’t convinced.”</p><p>“And she didn’t try to warn you?” Kara asked with a scoff. “Sounds like bad parenting to me.”</p><p>Lex huffed a laugh at that, albeit devoid of any humor. “You would know all about parenting, wouldn’t you?” Then, he lowered her voice and it became barely a whisper, the tone sending bad shivers down Kara’s spine. “We have eyes everywhere, Supergirl.”</p><p>“The guy in the park,” Kara declared. She didn’t need to ask, not after seeing the security cameras images, but she also wanted to know for sure. She needed to know how bad she fucked things up.</p><p>She saw the guy in the park and didn’t think anything about it. She stopped a bank robbery and was too distracted to realize one of the guys escaped. She helped the Police with the hangar invasion and, once again, her head was somewhere else and she didn’t realize one of the men was gone until it was too late. Kara was so distracted with Lena and Liam that she ignored all the red flags along the way. Now they were both in the hands of Lex and it was all Kara’s fault. She should have realized something was going on sooner. Or, at the very least, she should have been there to stop anything bad from happening to them.</p><p>“Peter,” Lex agreed. “He also worked as a taxi driver under my mother’s request. Among other things.”</p><p>“Where’s Lena?”</p><p>The older man pretended to think about her question for a few seconds before he tilted his head and smirked. “She’s busy right now, I’m afraid. She’s helping me with something.”</p><p>Kara almost growled in anger. Instead, she frowned. “If you hurt her or Liam, you will regret it. I can promise you that.”</p><p>“I don’t know who you think I am, Supergirl,” Lex finally took a step back, adding some space between them, before he started walking to the other side of the room to touch the chain keeping Kara hanging upside down. “Lena walked in here willingly.”</p><p>Kara wanted to laugh aloud at the ridiculous words the man chose to say. After all, she heard about the Luthor family, thinking that no one would try to hurt Lena and Liam was certainly comical. “Where is Liam?”</p><p>Lex sighed, sounding almost tired, before he turned around to face the hero again. “He’s a very loud thing, isn’t he?”</p><p>Kara’s arm reached out as she tried to grab Lex. She didn’t move even an inch, only causing some noise around the room before her body went limb again. “If you let me take them, we can negotiate things. I just want them to be safe.”</p><p>“You would let me walk away from this if I let them go? How heroic of you,” Lex mocked. “Now, Supergirl, I have to ask why you’re here. Imagine my surprise when I found some files with my mother saying that you and Lena were... close.”</p><p>“First of all,” Kara groaned and tried to grab the chain with her right hand again, only to fail pathetically and sigh in defeat. “First of all, you and your mother need to stay out of other people’s business. And, second, why do you care?”</p><p>To her surprise, Lex smiled again. “I was waiting for Kal but having you here is better than I could have expected.” The man tilted his head and looked up for a few seconds before looking back at her. “I think we can both benefit from your presence here.”</p><p>“Why does every villain need to make a speech before getting to the point?” The hero tried to taunt him, however, Lex was clearly determined to ignore her.</p><p>“My dear sister is helping me with the final touches on my plan and we will need a guinea pig, if you may.”</p><p>“I will punch you so hard after I get out of here.”</p><p>Lex laughed loudly at that. “You’re fun, Supergirl. Here’s what we’re going to do: I will see if we have everything ready to roll, then I will be back and you will take the shot I bring to you. Then, we will see if it works and, hopefully, I will watch you die. If you refuse to do it, I have someone taking care of my dear nephew and I would hate if something happened to him.”</p><p>Kara could only watch as the oldest Luthor sibling climbed the two steps on the small stair, opened the door, and walked out, leaving the hero alone once more. She sighed when the silence fell around her again and started considering if she should try to break the chain and hope for a different outcome. Kara would have to admit that using Kryptonite was a smart move, regardless of who they were expecting to show up. If Kal was the one to come chasing Lex after he escaped jail, the chain would have worked on him as well.</p><p>Apparently, Lillian was expecting her, which only made her stupid act sound even more stupid. Kara should have known better than run away and try to rescue Lena and Liam alone, but she was desperate, afraid to lose time and something bad happen because she didn’t do anything to help them. The Kryptonite was starting to crawl through her veins, burning every inch of her body and making her feel like her skin was tearing apart.</p><p>And she still had no idea where Lena was, Liam was in danger, and Kara could feel the panic building inside her chest. She could only hope J’onn and Alex would find a way to figure out where she was and quick.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The heels clicking against the concrete floor behind her was only aggravating the pounding in her head. The headache had started a while back and it didn’t seem like it was going to ease anytime soon, and having her mother walking from one side of the room to another was not going to help.</p><p>Although, Lena couldn’t think of any universe where having her mother nearby was anything but unhelpful.</p><p>“If you want me to make this fast, you need to stop making so much noise.”</p><p>Lillian stopped walking for a couple of seconds and Lena was already surprised that her mother listened to her for once in her life, but then the older woman started walking again, this time approaching her at the lab table. The table was filled with papers, test tubes, and five different tablets she was using to make some calculations. Lena was wearing some old lab coat that she was sure Lex took only to mock her and, although her hands were shaking slightly, she was trying to mix some strange substances together without blowing up the entire building.</p><p>“Your new pet is <em>very </em>charming.”</p><p>Lena squeezed the test tube so hard that it made a small crack. She quickly let it go before she could stop herself, then moved to grab one of the files to hide her reaction. “What? Were you spying me? I would never think you were that interested in my life.”</p><p>Lillian had stopped somewhere behind her, making the hairs on the back of her neck raise in alarm. She hated that she couldn’t see her mother, couldn’t see what she was doing, but she also didn’t want to turn around and risk any retaliation. “I’m bound to be interested when my daughter decides to bring our enemy to her bed.”</p><p>“No offense, mother, but I have no wish to discuss who I decide to invite to my bed. Especially with you.”</p><p>“Did it ever occur to you that she is using you to attack your family?” Lillian asked without hiding the mockery from her tone and Lena was glad she had moved to look through a microscope so she could roll her eyes without the other woman noticing it.</p><p>“My family, as you so nicely put, was very safe before you decided to waltz back into it,” Lena replied between gritted teeth.</p><p>“You must be mistaking me for someone else, dear. Despite the fact that you have been giving me nothing but grief over the years, I don’t believe that turning your back to the family can be considered... proper.”</p><p>The younger woman scoffed and threw a glare over her shoulder. Lillian was clutching her purse closer to her body like she was afraid a thief would run from any corner now and steal it from her and she was definitely closer than Lena was comfortable with.</p><p>“You say that like I have any reasons to actually believe in you,” Lena rolled her eyes again before looking down at the microscope to take another look on the purple substance she needed to crack down. “In case you forgot, we already have a long history of death threats.”</p><p>“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” her mother argued with a sneer.</p><p>“Well, my kidnapping might ring a bell for you.”</p><p>This time, Lillian approached her enough to lean against the table, crossing her arms in the process. “I would like to know how I could be involved in that when I was the one who called the Police.”</p><p>That was a good point. Lena never figured out who called the cops to go save her from her captivity since she was sure her family was the reason she got there in the first place. She always thought the Police might have heard something and decided to investigate. To think Lillian was the one who called them was nearly ridiculous.</p><p>“If you’re talking about right now, I would like to remind you that I didn’t make you come here against your will,” the older woman continued, her eyes moving to look down at the several things spread over the table before she moved one hand to push a small box closer to the edge.</p><p>Lena scoffed again. “I didn’t have much choice on the matter, did I? After Lex’s amazing visitation, how could I not show up to help with your ridiculous plan?”</p><p>“Lex went to see you?”</p><p>She barely had time to consider the fact that Lillian looked actually surprised by that before the door swung open behind her. Shocked, Lena jumped a little as she turned around, praying to see a blur of red and blue. It wasn’t. It was Lex, looking down at his phone and typing away while walking inside the improvised lab he had built.</p><p>“How are things going, dear sister? Are we almost there?”</p><p>“It would be easier if I knew what this is supposed to look like,” Lena remarked with a sigh. “You don’t even know the amount I should use of each substance.”</p><p>“Yes, well, I’m working on getting some files to help you,” Lex looked up with a fake smile. “Meanwhile, I’m sure your big head can figure it out.”</p><p>“I want to see my son.”</p><p>Lex tilted his head and gave her a sickening smirk that made her stomach turn and twist. “I’m sure you do.”</p><p>Lena’s fingernails dug against the table, her arms started to shake with the strength she was holding it, and she could feel her heart simply fall on the pit of her stomach. “I won’t be doing anything else until I’m sure Liam is fine.”</p><p>“He’s fine.”</p><p>“Lex.” Two pairs of eyes turned to the source of the voice: Lillian, who managed to look annoyed and impatient at the same time. “Just roll the crying baby in. She will beg you to take him away soon enough.”</p><p>The man shook his head though. “After it’s done, you can see him. Not before.”</p><p>“He’s my son and I demand you to take me to him,” Lena spoke with her voice clear and a bit loud, the sheer panic making her bottom lips start trembling.</p><p>“Right now all you are is the scientist who’s going to change the world,” Lex responded while picking up his phone again to start typing. “The sooner you finish this, the sooner you get to see him. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have reasons to believe my presence is needed somewhere else. I will be back in a few.”</p><p>As soon as Lex left the room, Lena closed her eyes and started a battle against her tears. She was scared for her son and she could only wish Liam was fine. She wasn’t joking when she said she didn’t trust her family, even more so when she had no idea what was going on. She knew Lex wanted something from her, she knew Lillian was involved, but she couldn’t know exactly what they wanted. Not for the first time, Lena wished she hadn’t forgotten about the files Lillian gave her the night before.</p><p>“Why did you bring your son to this?”</p><p>Surprised, Lena opened her eyes and turned her head to face her mother with wide eyes. “I didn’t bring Liam here. Lex did.”</p><p>Lillian slowly raised one eyebrow and pursed her lips for a second before she remembered she wasn’t supposed to do that – like the woman from the elite she was. “I see.”</p><p>“What?” Lena scoffed, turned around, and started mixing some ingredients again. “Are you suddenly worried about our well being?”</p><p>Lillian didn’t say anything else for some very long minutes. Lena could have forgotten she was even there if she couldn’t feel the burn of her mother’s eyes against the side of her head. Finally, after what felt like a thousand years, the older woman cleared her throat. “Can I ask why you would allow such a creature in your son’s life?”</p><p>“She’s not a creature, mother. Your hate towards aliens is a very outdated thing, you know?”</p><p>“Just because you have trained a wolf not to eat you, it doesn’t mean they’re not going to do that eventually.”</p><p>Lena frowned, confusion washing over her features, before she looked at Lillian in disbelief. “What is that even supposed to mean?”</p><p>Lillian rolled her eyes so dramatically that Lena almost apologized for causing her any distress, even though Lena wasn’t feeling it even a little. “You invited a wolf inside your house.”</p><p>“I love her and she loves me. You can use this stupid analogy all day and I wouldn’t give a shit about what you’re saying.”</p><p>“Can’t it be <em>anyone </em>else? Even that pathetic excuse of a man was better than Kara.”</p><p>A cold shiver ran down Lena’s spine and she found herself gaping before she could stop herself. “How do you know her name?”</p><p>Lillian stared down at her like she was stupid and suddenly Lena was sitting on a white couch while the woman found ways to make her feel like garbage with only one look. “I just do.” Then, the woman made a pause. “I’m almost sorry to tell you this, but you should get ready to say goodbye. I’m sure your brother will put her name on the top of the list the second he gets his hands on her.”</p><p>“You said you don’t any desire to hurt your family,” Lena started, every word feeling like a small pack of sand drying her mouth. “If you hurt Kara, it will break my heart.”</p><p>She didn’t know what she was expecting to happen, but having Lillian smirking at her wasn’t it. The woman looked at her up and down twice before speaking again. “Too bad I don’t care about how you feel.”</p><p>“I don’t understand,” the younger woman whispered as the tears started burning on the back of her eyes. “I don’t understand how can you hate me <em>so much</em>. I don’t know what I did to you, I don’t know why you ever agreed to adopt a kid you hated. And I just can’t believe how far you’re willing to go to destroy people’s lives.”</p><p>“Do you want to know what you did?” Lillian mocked, although every word was carried with enough venom that Lena almost took a step back. Instead of answering right away, Lillian’s dark eyes swept across her face like she was searching for something or just really thinking about something. In the end, the woman’s lips curled in disgust. “You look so much like your mother.”</p><p>Lena couldn’t help herself. She gasped loudly, her heart started to race, her fingers twitched. “What do you know about my mother?”</p><p>Lillian must have realized what she had said before because her eyes widened only a little before she shook her head. “You heard your brother, didn’t you? You better finish this soon. Your stupid alien has joined us and we need to get this plan going before people come looking for her.”</p><p>Shit. Shit, shit, shit.</p><p>Kara was there? If she was, how could it be that she didn’t break every door and every hallway to try and save them? What if something bad happened to her? It would be all Lena’s fault because her family is crazy, just like she warned Kara about.</p><p>Lena needed to finish the substance Lex asked her to and then she needed to find Liam and find a way to help Kara if needed, before they run for the hills.</p><p>Before she could start worrying about anything else, the door opened again and, this time, Lex wasted no time to demand what he wanted. “Do we have it?”</p><p>Lena looked down at the dark substance inside the test tubes for a few seconds, thinking that she couldn’t keep pushing it anymore – not when she didn’t know where Liam was, not when she knew now that her family had Kara under their nails. She sighed then, deeply and sad, before she nodded.</p><p>“It’s ready, yes.”</p><p>Her brother laughed a deep chuckle like that was a very funny joke to hear. “Good. I already have our guinea pig ready to go.”</p><p>Lena had her suspicions of who that was but her heart fell to her feet when she walked inside another room behind Lex and spotted National City’s resident hero right in the middle of the space, tied by her ankle and looking like a dead weight being lifted by a chain. She did her best to control her reactions but that wasn’t enough because the gasp that came from the back of her throat was inevitable.</p><p>“You two have already met, from what I heard,” Lex commented nonchalantly with a broad sickening smile. “Let’s get this show moving, yes?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Maggie: Did you ever wonder why we didn't work out?<br/>Alex: Despite the obvious?<br/>Maggie *getting mad*: I hope the obvious is you being fucking stubborn.<br/>Alex *also mad*: I'm the one who's stubborn?!<br/>Lena: What is going on over there?<br/>Kara: Oh, Alex is talking with her ex.<br/>Lena: ... It looks like they really loved each other.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Breaking the chains</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here we go for another chapter! Most of the angst is over, you can all relax!</p><p>To my helper, get yourself a cookie, you deserve it</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There were a few things Kara noticed. There was a very small table at the corner where a silver suitcase was placed, Lex looked like he was about to start bouncing on his feet in excitement, Lillian certainly thought she was better than anyone else there because she didn’t walk down the small stairs, choosing to watch them from above, and Lena was white as a sheet while waiting for her brother to give out instructions. It was clear to Kara that Lena was scared, that she didn’t want to be there and, most likely, wasn’t on board with whatever was about to happen.</p><p>Kara tried to catch her eyes a couple of times, but Lena’s green orbs kept chasing Lex while he walked around the room with a smirk and a slight bounce in his step. She wanted to tell her that it would be okay, that they would find a way to get out of this mess, but Kara couldn’t quite picture how things would work out for them. The kryptonite in her system was blurring her vision, she was sweaty, her breath was shallow and the blood rushing to her head was making her dizzy. Things weren’t looking very bright.</p><p>Lex found a folding chair, dark with dust, and he moved it to the middle of the room, just out of reach from Kara. He then walked past her, whistling to himself, marching straight to the piece of metal holding the chain. With the eyes of everyone on him, he touched the chain with the tip of his fingers as though he was caressing the links. Kara could see the way his lips twisted in amusement, the way he looked genuinely happy as he curled his fingers around the metal and gave it a hard pull.</p><p>Lex wasn’t the strongest persona around but that was enough to cause a chain reaction on the delicate equilibrium. The metal holding the chain escaped the place he was being anchored and the chain started to loudly slip from the pipe it was being held by on the ceiling. Kara barely had time to move her arms to protect her head and face before gravity worked on her again and she hit the floor hard. Her shoulders hit it first, cracking some bones, then her back hit it next, pushing all air from her lungs, and her legs went last, still dormant.</p><p>Once lying on the floor instead of hanging upside down, the blood started to run down through her body again and the burning sensation started to pin her muscles painfully. Her legs felt like a thousand needles were being pushed inside her skin, her arms burned like living fire, and her head was spinning with the sudden change. She tried to open her eyes but everything was rotating and making her feel sick, so she closed it again and groaned. The chain was still around her ankle, the kryptonite still affecting her – although, after being exposed to it for so long and so directly, she would probably feel its effects for days.</p><p>“Don’t be rude,” Lex spoke somewhere above her, and Kara tried not to flinch. “I got you a chair.”</p><p>Kara wished she could tell him to get lost but her tongue felt like a strange organ inside her mouth. Instead, the hero coughed because of the dust that rose from the floor when she fell and frowned deeply. She had no wish of doing what Lex told her to, however, an image of Lena and Liam flashed behind her eyes and she relented. She would have to do as Lex told if she wanted to save them. She wouldn’t be able to punch her way out, not without her powers and weakened as she was.</p><p>The blonde groaned as she tried to push her muscles to obey. She put her palms on the floor first before she managed to turn her legs until she was kneeling on the floor. That must have been a vision, having Supergirl crawling towards the chair Lex had put there, but she tried not to think about it. Her right hand, shaking like crazy, had just raised to reach out for the seat so she could use it as a support to get on her feet when the chair was suddenly pushed away from her, making a metallic noise against the concrete floor.</p><p>Kara’s hand fell back to the floor, her body losing the brief ounce of strength she had gathered to make that single move, and she heard Lex chuckling above her.</p><p>“Not so heroic right now, are you, Supergirl?”</p><p>Lillian didn’t taunt her like that when she tried to kill her, Kara was going to resent him for that. The woman just tried to straight out kill her and Kara didn’t feel even a bit as defenseless as she felt in that second. Her legs started to tremble, suffering to support her weight, and Kara wondered how long she could hold things before she succumbed.</p><p>“Lex.” That was Lena, from across the room, her voice soft and soothing, entering Kara’s head and bringing some peace that she shouldn’t be feeling. “Please.”</p><p>Kara couldn’t see what Lex did after that, she had her eyes closed still and the room was silent for a while, but then she felt the tip of his shoe touching her back. “Come on, get up.”</p><p>If she was strong enough, she would have grabbed his foot and shoved him against a wall so hard that there wouldn’t be one bone intact left. She wasn’t though. So, instead of beating the shit out of him, Kara took a deep breath and forced herself to stand. Every inch of her body screamed at the movement and she wondered if everyone could see her veins burning inside her. She fell against the chair so hard that it moved a few inches to the side and she had to grab it with both hands to stop her fall. But she managed to sit on it and open her eyes, albeit everything was still spinning like a freaking hurricane.</p><p>Kara was trying to take deep breaths through her nose and exhale through her mouth when Lex crouched in front of her with another one of his sickening smirks. She glared at him, praying that her heat vision would work, but only managed to make him more and more amused. Finally, Lex chuckled.</p><p>“You have no idea what I would be willing to do to have your cousin in your place instead.”</p><p>Kara thought about Kal – about Lois, who was expecting their first child, about the baby she met on Krypton and to which she vowed to protect after she was sent to Earth, about the man he became and the hero he was. She thought about Kal, leaving his life behind to fly across the country to go help her find Lex because she gave him a call and didn’t filter her words. Kara couldn’t feel exactly bad to wish he would stay away. She wouldn’t wish what she was going through on anyone, let alone her cousin. Being in pain, scared and out of time wasn’t fun, but she would never wish Kal was in her place instead.</p><p>“If you give him a call, I can think about letting you go.” Even if Lex said that looking at her in the eyes, Kara knew he wasn’t saying the truth. She couldn’t picture a world where Lex would just let her walk away. “But of course you wouldn’t do that,” Lex continued with a wink. “Guess you understand the meaning of loyalty, something Clark knows nothing about. Do you know he was the one who told me about you?” Lex arched his eyebrows and smiled broadly at her. “He told me about his cousin, the last daughter of Krypton, living with a human family as he did. He sold you out.”</p><p>Kara used all her strength to shake her head. “He thought he could trust you,” she said, making small pauses in between the words to breath.</p><p>“And I thought I could trust him as well,” Lex remarked and a dark, somber look fell on his face, making him look older and like a real villain for once. “But don’t worry, Supergirl. I will soon get rid of both of you and then I will kill every alien who decided to taint our planet with their existence.”</p><p>Kara heard a gasp from somewhere behind Lex and she could almost hear the wheels inside Lena’s head spinning around. If the woman had no idea what was going on before, she finally caught up with the program now. The hero immediately felt bad. Lena got dragged into this mess because of her, because of Kal, and now she would be forced to be a part of an evil plan to commit genocide.</p><p>“Do you remember what we agree on?”</p><p>Kara had no other choice but to nod and agree. She wished she could look at Lena’s face to let her know it was okay, that she would never blame her for what was about to happen, but Lex was blocking her vision despite his short stature. For a second, she pictured his bald head on fire and it almost made her smile.</p><p>“Good. If you play your cards right, I will make sure my part of the agreement also plays off,” Lex smiled one last time before getting up, pressing both hands against his knees to push his body to a standing position.</p><p>“Wait,” Kara whispered and then groaned when she heard how weak she sounded. “I won’t... I need to see if... I want to see Liam, to know he’s fine.”</p><p>Lex hummed with his back turned at her, then he looked over his shoulder to show her his pursed lips and the fake sorrow on his features. “I’m afraid I can’t let that happen. You will just have to trust me.”</p><p>The blonde didn’t miss the way his lips curled or the way his eyes sparkled, and she was shooting daggers on his back when he started walking towards his sister. Kara tried to move her feet, to get her legs working, to get up and help Lena, but all she managed to do was make the chain click.</p><p>“He’s fine,” a voice sounded from the farthest corner of the room, shocking Kara to her core. “Right, Lex?”</p><p>Kara’s eyes had finally found Lillian when Lex answered but she wasn’t sure what she was seeing. Lillian was looking back at her with hard eyes and hate falling from her in waves, but that didn’t explain why she would try to make sure Kara knew Liam was fine. It made no sense.</p><p>“As much as he can be, I’m sure.”</p><p>“Lex,” it was Lena this time, and Kara’s eyes snapped to her like magnets. Lena’s face was contorted in a grimace like she was trying her very best not to cry, shattering the blonde’s heart into million pieces. “Please, let me see him.”</p><p>“You will,” Lex waved his hand to dismiss her words before he stopped on the other side of the table to open the suitcase they had brought along. “Now, you need to finish this.”</p><p>“I won’t do anything until I see my son.”</p><p>Lex let out a heavy breath, his hands gripping the edges of the table, and he ducked his head like he couldn’t bear to look at his sister at that moment. “Lena, don’t act up, okay? Don’t make me hurt you. Just finish putting this together and then I will let you see your loud baby.”</p><p>Kara tried to get up again, failed one more time, and then moaned when her muscles screamed in pain. She wanted to kick Lex out of the universe. And she would do it if she didn’t feel like she had been hit by a kryptonite train.</p><p>However, before she could gather her breath, Lillian spoke again. “Let her see him.”</p><p>Lex looked up at his mother with a sneer. “I’m not doing anything other than destroying every alien walking on our planet.”</p><p>“I won’t help you do that.”</p><p>This time, the man turned his head to glare at Lena so fast that his neck must certainly snap. He took a step closer, his hips touching the table, and a hand slowly rose to wrap around her wrist. Kara could only watch as Lena’s face twisted in pain. The brunette tried to pull her hand from his grasp but it was fruitless. Lex only leaned closer with his upper body and turned her wrist into a weird angle.</p><p>“Yes, you will.” He paused, his words attached with venom, and his voice was sharp as a knife. “If you know what it’s good for you and your baby.”</p><p>Another threat. Lex was a dead man, Kara decided then and there. As soon as she was able to raise her hands again, she was going to curl them around his neck and squeeze the life out of him. He was insane if he thought he could get away with threatening the most important people in her life like that.</p><p>The hero tried to move again, only to sink against the chair like she was being pulled down. She wasn’t strong enough. She couldn’t get to Lena, she couldn’t find Liam, she couldn’t save them. It sank into her at that moment that she had no other option than hope Lex wasn’t lying to her, that he would let them go if she followed his orders.</p><p>Then, raising her head which felt heavier than ever, she locked eyes with Lena across the room. She tried to communicate with her but she wasn’t sure her message was clear. The younger woman looked even more scared than before, her skin going paler, and her green eyes filled with tears. Kara nodded once, letting her know she should play the game, before another shot of pain rushed up to her spine and she gritted her teeth to stop another groan.</p><p>However, that seemed to be enough. Lena gave her the most apologetic look Kara ever saw, her shoulders sagging and her eyes dropping to the suitcase spread in front of her. Finally, the youngest Luthor sighed and started taking test tubes and other things from inside the suitcase. Lex gave her a satisfied smile that Kara wanted to punch off of his face – maybe make him swallow his own yellowish teeth.</p><p>“You and your cousin got in my way for the last time, Supergirl,” Lex declared, turning around to face the blonde hero again. Behind him, Lena started mixing liquids while throwing quick glances at the weakened woman. “Once I have freed our planet from every alien, the world will idolize me. They will see me for who I really am.”</p><p>“A psycho?” Kara gritted between her teeth and happily watched as Lex’s face became a little red with anger.</p><p>“A genius,” he corrected with a slight tilt of his head. “Who deserves to be in charge to make things work as they should.”</p><p>“Do you think they will give you the key to the city? Maybe let you sit in the White House? Declare you the King of the world?” Kara scoffed, even if her insides told her that taunting the man wasn’t the best option for the moment. She was just feeling bitter, sad, and she just needed to make him as mad as she felt.</p><p>Lex, on the other hand, only smiled. Big and mocking. “I wish you could be here to see it happening. Maybe I will save a seat for your cousin before I kill him as well.”</p><p>The blonde tried to sit up straighter on her chair, her forearms shaking all the way while she pushed herself up before falling down again. “What is your thing with Kal? You sound a little obsessed.”</p><p>The bald man remained in silence for a while, his dark eyes studying her as though he couldn’t decide if he hated her or wanted to laugh at her. Finally, he huffed a laugh that held no humor and nodded. “Are we ready to go, dear sister?”</p><p>He must have noticed that the sounds behind him had slowed down to a stop. Kara looked over his shoulder to see Lena holding a syringe in her shaking hands, throwing her a heartbreaking look, and the hero tried to offer her a small smile to soothe her worries. Things were going to shit, sure, but Lena and Liam would be alright.</p><p>Lena gulped as though she could hear Kara’s thoughts. “Y-Yes.”</p><p>Lex nodded once. “Good.” The man paused, turned his head to stare at his sister with pursed lips, and raised a fat finger to point at the hero. “Go there and give her the shot.”</p><p>“What?” Lena’s eyes widened and she instinctively took a step back.</p><p>“You,” Lex pointed at her, “walk over there,” then pointed at Kara, “and inject the venom in her.”</p><p>“Lex, I...”</p><p>“If you don’t,” the man made a quick stop between his words, and the silence that fell, even for a second, was enough to settle panic inside the two of them. “I will hurt your son. I don’t want to do it, so don’t force me to do it.”</p><p>That settled it.</p><p>With one last glance at Kara, Lena walked around the table with trembling legs, holding the syringe and doing her damn best not to collapse. The walk towards the blonde felt like a decade long, although the distance wasn’t as bad as it looked at first. Kara watched her with watery blue eyes, making sure Lena wasn’t going to bail at the same time she tried to send her looks to let her know it was okay.</p><p>It wasn’t. Not really. Because Lex was about to kill her. Not only that, but he was going to make <em>Lena </em>kill her. It couldn’t be okay, it wasn’t okay. But Lena needed her to pretend it was or she wouldn’t do it, then Lex would never allow her to escape with her son. They could get out and have a wonderful life, Kara rationalized. Without her. It was fine, really.</p><p>When Lena eventually got to her side, the younger woman was crying silently. Kara frowned, unpleased, and raised her own shaky hand to reach out for the brunette's. Her hand fell against Lena’s wrist like a rock, uncoordinated and too heavy, but the other woman grabbed it like it was a lifeline, holding it so hard that Kara flinched a bit.</p><p>“Hey, don’t cry,” Kara whispered, having used the last ounce of strength she had to touch the brunette. “It’s okay.” She wished she had said how much she loved Lena before because right then, when she was about to die, was not the right time to do it. If she wanted Lena to move on and have a happy life, she didn’t need to throw that on her on top of it all.</p><p>“Fuck you,” Lena huffed, tears freely falling down her face.</p><p>Kara smiled despite herself. She really loved Lena. “Just do it, okay? It will be fine.”</p><p>“You don’t know that.” Lena shook her head and bit her bottom lip. “There must be another way, Kara.”</p><p>“I wish there was,” the blonde agreed. “But I can’t move and we can’t waste time or Lex will get impatient. I can’t risk having him hurt any of you.”</p><p>“Kara, this thing...”</p><p>“I hate to interrupt, I really do,” Lex let an annoyed sigh out. “But if you don’t do it soon, dear sister, you will be joining her instead.”</p><p>Kara squeezed Lena’s hand the best she could and nodded. “It’s okay.”</p><p>“You better not Lexa things up, okay?” Lena mumbled under her breath and Kara almost laughed at that.</p><p>“Did you ever watch the show?”</p><p>“No. That’s why you can’t do it with me. We need to sit down and watch it together, okay?”</p><p>Kara nodded again, a lazy smile curling her lips as she accepted her fate. “I promise I will try to Nicole Haught this instead.”</p><p>“I never watched it either,” Lena sniffled and then jumped when she felt a calloused hand against her shoulder. She didn’t need to turn around to see who it was.</p><p>“Do it now.”</p><p>The younger woman brought the needle to the crook of Kara’s arm after a second. She was shaking so hard that the blonde had to help her steady her movement to be able to find a vein. Now, looking down at her arm, Kara could see that her veins were green – an effect from the kryptonite – and she winced at the thought of how she must have looked. Defeated would be one way to put it.</p><p>“I’m so sorry, Kara.”</p><p>“I know,” the blonde sighed. “Liam always comes first.”</p><p>Lena sobbed so hard that her hand moved on its own accord, piercing Kara’s skin like it was made of butter. If she had her powers working, it would have broken instead of entering her body. The pain had nothing on what she was feeling with the kryptonite infecting her body, but she flinched all the same.</p><p>Deciding she needed it to end fast, Kara moved her hand again, this time searching for the syringe. Lena barely had time to react before Kara pushed the end of the syringe all the way down, making the translucid liquid disappear under her skin. It burned a little, it made her arm tingle, but it wasn’t like she expected. To be fair, she didn’t know what to expect - maybe to simply die on the spot or to start foaming from her mouth – but nothing happened for a while.</p><p>Literally nothing.</p><p>Kara blinked, thinking that she might have imagined the last few seconds, before she looked up at Lena. There was something in those green orbs, wide and shining, that made her understand she was missing something. Something very important apparently because she hadn’t died yet.</p><p>“What happened?” Lex asked, clearly unhappy with the end result. “How long does it take to kick in?”</p><p>Lena shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s not like you gave a study to work with.”</p><p>The man huffed and took a step closer to make sure the syringe was empty. “Well, that sucks. If she doesn’t die in ten minutes, we’re going to inject some more.” He paused to think over something before he turned his head at Lena. “Are you sure you made it right?”</p><p>The brunette rolled her eyes and that’s when Kara realized she was indeed missing something. “I don’t know, Lex. The entire purpose of having a guinea pig is to test things. We won’t know until something happens. Or doesn’t happen. Unless you want to test it out on yourself.”</p><p>Her brother huffed again, louder this time, and started to walk away. “Fine. I will be back in ten so we can try again if needed. Meanwhile, check to see if you didn’t fuck this up.”</p><p>Lex walked out of the room while being followed by Kara’s glare – while she tried to fry him again with her heat vision. Once the heavy door closed behind him, Kara looked back at Lena, softening her features and flashing her a smile.</p><p>“What do you want to do while we wait?”</p><p>It was a stupid joke to make Lena relax a little. However, what she wasn’t expecting, was to hear another voice answering her instead. “You need to leave.” She had forgotten Lillian was even there.</p><p>“I would love to,” Kara chanted with a wink towards Lena and she was happy to see the woman smiling a little bit. Not enough, but a little was better than nothing.</p><p>“Not you,” Lillian replied. “Lena, you need to get your son and get out of here.”</p><p>Lena turned her head around as though a monster had just popped behind her. “What?”</p><p>The Luthor matriarch was still standing in the same place she was since she first walked in, although now she looked less like a statue than before. “You heard me. I don’t think Lex will let you walk away from this alive, so you need to leave. Now.”</p><p>Lena glanced back down at Kara, the shock evident on her face before she looked back at her mother. “You’re going to help us?”</p><p>Lillian scoffed. “I’m just saying you should leave while you can. I know you enough to know you purposely ruined the venom so it wouldn’t kill your pet and Lex will not be pleased if he finds out about this.”</p><p>Kara nudged Lena’s hand until the younger woman was staring at her again, her brows were furrowed and her lips were parted slightly. “You did what?”</p><p>The other woman rolled her eyes, although her lips curled in a soft smile. “What? Did you honestly think I would do something that would work?”</p><p>“What about Liam?”</p><p>“I was buying us some time,” Lena shook her head. “But Lillian is right. If Lex finds out I did this...”</p><p>“Get out,” Kara quickly interrupted her. “You need to find Liam and you need to get out of here.”</p><p>“You’re finally sounding smart, Supergirl,” Lillian remarked from her place at the stairs.</p><p>However, the blonde decided to ignore her. “Grab him and get out. You need to find Alex, she will know what to do. Just tell her where I am and she will send someone over for me, okay?”</p><p>“I can’t leave you here.”</p><p>“Yes, you can.” One of the blonde’s hands reached out to grab Lena’s jaw gently, the pad of her thumb caressing the soft skin under her chin. Her cheeks puffed a little when she inhaled sharply, a pained look washing over her and making her expression turn rueful. “You need to, okay? I will be fine. I will just hold you back if I try to go.”</p><p>“I don’t think I made myself clear,” Lillian interrupted the moment with her voice filled with rage. “You’re not going anywhere, Supergirl.”</p><p>“Mother,” Lena gasped, turning on her heels to stare at the woman who raised her. “You told me you don’t hurt family, that you don’t find it to be proper.” She stopped, raised her shoulders, and puffed her chest. “Kara is my family.” When Lillian gave no indication that she was going to bulge, Lena kept talking. “We can’t live like this anymore. You and Lex can’t keep killing people you don’t like over anything. We can’t keep pretending that wiping blood off of our hands is just what being a Luthor entails.”</p><p>“Our world has no room for someone like her anymore,” the older Luthor spit the words out like they were the venom that was going to kill Kara in the end and, for a second, the blonde actually thought that was the case. “How can a creature like her fit into our world?”</p><p>Well, Kara chose to remain quiet while she considered what exactly Lillian’s world could fit. Death and destruction, chaos maybe, no happiness. Then she thought about waking up in the middle of the night to changing diapers, about apple puree and reading books before bedtime, and she felt bad that Lillian didn’t wish to create room in her world for that too.</p><p>“Kara did nothing wrong,” Lena shook her head. “She saves people. She dedicated her life to saving people. How can you say she doesn’t deserve to be here like everyone else? Maybe you’re just evil. Just a vile person trying to justify your acts and your hate with empty arguments.”</p><p>Kara could agree with that. She wanted to speak up and say she most certainly agreed with that, but she said nothing again. Instead, she watched as Lillian’s jaws clenched and relaxed a couple of times before the older woman bared her teeth.</p><p>“Remove the chain and get out.”</p><p>The shock was so much that Kara gasped. Her eyes must have been as wide as Lena’s were, her mouth hanging open almost comically. Lena, on the other hand, didn’t waste time before kneeling on the floor to pull the chain out of the hero’s ankle. She fought with it for a while, trying to find enough room to slip it out, before she finally managed to take it out and throw it across the room.</p><p>The relief was almost immediate. The burning eased enough to allow Kara to feel her limbs again, the tingling going away and the dizziness subduing quickly. The long exposure made it impossible for her to be completely fine and the kryptonite was still too close to keep from causing her harm, but, at least, now Kara could breathe and think again.</p><p>After she was set free, Lena was fast to pull her to her feet – although the hero had no idea how she managed to do that because her body still felt like dead weight. “Come on.”</p><p>“There’s no time for that,” Lillian spoke again. “She goes, you stay here. We will tell Lex that she escaped somehow. We can tell him the venom did the reverse or something like that.”</p><p>Kara was surprised by how fast Lena agreed with that ridiculous plan. She let go of her waist, where she had been holding her up, and started pushing her like she was expecting Kara to just walk away.</p><p>“I’m not leaving you behind,” Kara said, glad to notice her voice had acquired some force again.</p><p>“We don’t have time for your bravery, foolish girl,” the older brunette scoffed. “Go on. Break that door and run away. Never come back and I will never go after you again.”</p><p>Lena gave her mother a look that clearly said ‘what the hell are you doing?’ but Kara didn’t move an inch. The younger Luthor tried to reach out for her again, now unsure of what was going on, but Kara was swaying on her feet. That apparently made Lillian lose the last ounce of her patience.</p><p>“Go!” Lillian made a gesture with her hand towards the door, her voice rising a bit before she remembered they were supposed to be quiet. “Go and never come back. Stay away from us, from Lena, from Liam, from all of us and I promise you I won’t ever look for you again. I will never go after you and I will make sure Lex won’t either. Get out now, don’t look back, and you can live your damn life without looking over your shoulder.”</p><p>At that, Kara’s head tilted to the side, her expression turning confused, albeit her eyes were gentle when she glanced down at Lena. “What about...”</p><p>“Just you,” Lillian growled between her gritted teeth. “You go, alone.”</p><p>“Alone?” Kara sounded even more confused when she looked back at the older woman.</p><p>“Don’t be fooled,” Lillian stated. “I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this for Lena. She will be better off without you.” The woman pointed at the door again. “You can walk away now or you can stay and I will kill you myself.”</p><p>Lena looked like she wanted to say something but had every word stuck in the back of her throat. Kara looked down at her, then down at her feet, shook her head, and then looked up with determination in her eyes. “I’m not leaving without her.” After saying that, her hands hung by her sides as she was trying to prove her point.</p><p>“That’s not an option, you stupid girl!” Lillian snarled. “You go or you stay and die.”</p><p>“I understand what you said,” Kara declared, looking vulnerable and so young. “I’m not going without Lena and Liam, both of them.”</p><p>Lillian’s teeth gritted so hard that Kara could hear it from across the room even without her powers. By her side, she could feel Lena shaking. “I’m going to kill you. I’m going to let Lex kill you. Do you think that’s what my daughter wants?”</p><p>In all fairness, Kara could never know what Lena would want. Maybe she was feeling a little selfish, praying that Kara would stay. Or maybe she was hoping Kara would go and save herself. Either way, it wasn’t exactly Lena’s choice.</p><p>“I can’t go,” Kara said sincerely. There was a light breeze that blew her cape around her knees and brought Lena’s perfume to her nose, and that almost made her chuckle for some reason. Maybe she was, indeed, insane. “You can’t ask me to go and leave behind the two most important people in the universe.”</p><p>“If you don’t leave, Lex will kill the three of you.”</p><p>Kara sighed sadly. “I think Lex will kill them no matter what.”</p><p>“If you go, I will handle my son. You just can’t be here.” Lillian finally walked down the small steps of the stairs so she was on the same ground as them. “Go on, live your goddamn life and leave them alone.”</p><p>“I can’t,” the hero repeated, shaking her head. “I won’t leave without them. I’m not going anywhere until I’m sure they’re safe.”</p><p>“Are you stupid?” The woman growled. “Do you realize I’m giving you a chance to live? If you stay, my son will kill you.”</p><p>Puffing her chest, Kara set up her jaw and frowned. “I’m not leaving without them.”</p><p>That must have sealed her fate, Kara decided. As soon as she was done talking, Lillian started walking towards her, a level of rage in her eyes that Kara had never seen before. She was sure she was about to die right then and there, and she had no strength to stop it. In fact, she wouldn’t even try. They made a deal of some sort. She refused her part and now Lillian was going to fulfill hers. So, she just stood there and raised her hands in surrender as she waited for the outcome.</p><p>Once she was standing right in front of her, Lillian allowed a sigh to escape. “Get out,” she said one more time, only this time she just sounded tired. “Both of you. Go grab your son,” the woman said that while looking at her daughter. “And get out of here.”</p><p>“What about you?” Lena asked.</p><p>Lillian arched one eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re suddenly interested in my well-being.”</p><p>Kara noticed that, even if the Luthor matriarch said it without any emotion in her voice, Lena did smile at her words like she was very aware that her mother was trying to send a message. Without wasting another second, the shorter woman’s hand grabbed Kara’s and started to pull her away. Their ten minutes were just about to end, they both knew it, and they needed to get moving if they wanted that escape to be successful.</p><p>They crossed the first door before Kara spoke again. “I’m too weak, I can’t...”</p><p>“It’s okay,” Lena interrupted her quickly. “I know where Liam is. We just need to take him and we can go.” She didn’t stop pulling Kara down the hall, ignoring how the other woman kept gasping for air behind her and tripping on her own feet.</p><p>“Lena, I can’t take us out of here.”</p><p>“We will find a way,” the brunette promised, and Kara had no other option than believe her.</p><p>She followed the woman between stumbles and nearly fainting until they reached a door that looked more fragile than Kara felt. Lena pushed it open with her shoulder, not bothering about anything else other than slipping inside the room. The blonde fell behind her, barely keeping herself on her feet with the sudden move, only to stop short in her tracks when she saw the baby wasn’t alone. The man from the park and from the security cameras was there, guarding him like a freaking dog, and he had one fist already aiming for Lena before any of them even spotted him.</p><p>It was definitely luck that got Kara moving faster than him. She pushed Lena away and walked towards him to give the man another target to aim at. Which worked just fine because his knuckles connected with her jaw like a fucking iron fist. Kara stumbled back with a groan, the pain burning her entire face in less than a second.</p><p>“Kara!”</p><p>She didn’t have time to make sure Lena was out of the way before the man ran into her like a train, knocking her from her feet and pushing her to the floor, where he promptly started to punch her everywhere he could reach. Kara did her best to remember all the times Alex and her sparred in one of the DEO’s training rooms as she tried to dodge from his attacks.</p><p>He managed to hit her jaw and left eye before he let out a groan on top of her and his body went stiff. Kara watched in confusion as he fell to the side, a hand already moving to the back of his head. She looked up to see Lena holding what appeared to be a suitcase that she clearly used to hit the man’s head.</p><p>“Is it ironic to hit him with the money my brother is paying him?”</p><p>Kara didn’t answer, even though she was sure she wasn’t supposed to anyway, before she slowly pushed herself to her feet. She still felt too weak and the new attack did nothing to make her feel better, although she had now the rush of adrenaline to help her out. The hero put one hand on her knee while she tried to catch her breath while the other one moved to the small of Lena’s back.</p><p>“Get Liam. He won’t be down for long.”</p><p>“What about you?”</p><p>“I will be right behind you, don’t worry.”</p><p>Lena didn’t seem convinced, however, she let go of the suitcase to run to the corner of the room where they had put the baby lying on the floor on some blankets. Liam was crying, obviously feeling the stress of everything, but she held him against her chest as only a mother could. After she was sure he was safe in her arms, Lena run to the door and started making her way out. The woman apparently knew a bit about the building so Kara trusted she could make it out on her own.</p><p>She would have to because Peter finally recovered from the blow against his head and pulled her cape so hard that Kara couldn’t keep herself up. Her back hit the hard floor and she felt all air being pushed from her lungs.</p><p>“You’re not going anywhere, Supergirl.”</p><p>“Your voice is so weird.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Taking advantage of his distraction, Kara forced her hand to close into a fist and raise against his cheek. He yelped and tried to hit her back, but she was fast enough to roll out of the way and all his hands met was the concrete. This time he screamed in pain, and Kara almost felt bad for finding the sound satisfying.</p><p>“Lena!”</p><p>That was Lex’s voice, she recognized. He realized they were gone and he was after Lena. Kara couldn’t allow that. Without sparing Peter a second glace, she pushed herself up and standing, then she started walking down the hallways, supporting almost all of her weight by pressing a hand against the dirty wall. Her legs still felt wobbly and she was dizzy again. The kryptonite was clearly still affecting her and it was already night, which meant she didn’t have enough sunlight to recover from that.</p><p>But Kara kept pushing herself to keep going, to keep looking for Lena and Liam, to keep going and going and going. She opened doors, peeked inside empty rooms, and followed the noises until she finally spotted a door half ajar. The hero pushed it open, stepped out, and then was greeted by the dark night outside. Lena was standing a few feet from the building, holding little Liam in her arms and looking around as she was searching for something.</p><p>A way out, Kara realized while stumbling her way towards them.</p><p>“We can run. I think there’s a village nearby,” Lena prompted. “We can hide there, maybe get a car and a phone so we can call for help.”</p><p>Just after she was done saying this, the door behind them opened with a loud crash. They both turned to see Lex walking towards them with Peter hot on his heels. Lex had nothing in his hands but he had a fury in his eyes that made Kara shiver. Peter, on the contrary, was holding a pistol pointed straight at them.</p><p>Without thinking twice, Kara bent down and picked Lena up like you would pick up a bride. She almost fell with the movement, her muscles burning and trembling with the force of an earthquake, but then she heard the first shot and she knew they had to get out of there. Not in a minute or two. Now.</p><p>Flying proved to be a challenge. Lena was holding Liam and Kara didn’t feel strong enough to take them. However, just after she failed to take off the first time, there was another shot and Lex screamed her name so loud that it sounded like he was standing right by her side. That was the incentive she needed to actually take flight and start making her way back through a path she hadn’t paid attention to when she got there in the first place.</p><p>Kara used all the adrenaline to push herself to the quickest flight she could, wanting to take them out of there as fast as possible. It only lasted ten seconds but that was enough to put some distance between them and Lex, enough that he probably couldn’t even see them anymore. Kara sighed but quickly went back to concentraing on the task at hand. She was too weak. Too vulnerable.</p><p>She had to keep going though. Lena and Liam were counting on her.</p><p>When she thought back on that trip, she would never be able to tell how she made it back without fainting or dropping anyone. However, Kara made it all the way back to the DEO. As soon as her feet touched the ground and Lena was standing again, everything went black and her body went limp. The last thing she heard was her name being called out from two different voices.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Lena: I would like to let you both know that I found a way to defeat Supergirl.<br/>Lex: What?! I have been trying for years!<br/>Lillian: Finally you did something right. What's your plan?<br/>Lena: I have a secret weapon that makes her brain shut down.<br/>Lex: uuuuh, sounds awesome! Can I use it too?<br/>Lena: I'm sorry, dear brother, but I think you're lacking what it takes.<br/>Lillian: Are you going to tell me what this weapon is?<br/>Lena: Yes... My boobs.<br/>Lex *gasps in gay shock*<br/>Lillian *facepalm*<br/>Kara: Guys, I'm right here...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Walking Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I got another chapter for you guys, so enjoy it.</p><p>To my dear helper, you're a true dear&lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Relief washed over her the second her feet touched the ground, but Lena barely had time to let the feeling wash over her before dread took over. She held Liam securely in her arms all the way back, shielding him against her chest, just like Kara had done with both of them. Kara had landed in the middle of the sidewalk in front of a tall building that held no labels or signs but that screamed ‘secret shit from the government happens here’, so Lena was going to assume that was the DEO’s headquarters. When she spun on her heels to talk to Kara, to ask where they should go, she met a drained hero, swaying on her feet before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell.</p><p>Lena could do nothing to stop her fall other than scream in horror. “Kara!”</p><p>She was joined by a second voice and she barely had time to see Alex running from inside the building before the redhead was crouched on the floor, holding her sister’s head between her hands and on her lap. Lena felt some comfort from the fact that Alex was there now because that meant they weren’t alone anymore, they had made it, and they now had help. Especially because she just saw a being that was supposed to be invincible faint right in front of her eyes.</p><p>Not any person. Kara. Her Kara.</p><p>“Kara?” Alex called out, hitting the blonde’s cheek with the back of her hand a couple of times. “Kara, talk to me.”</p><p>“We need to take her inside and off of the sidewalk,” a third voice joined them and Lena almost jumped out of her skin when she noticed a shorter brunette standing by her side, whom she hadn’t realized was there before.</p><p>“What happened?” Alex asked while trying to grab Kara in her arms, with no avail, much to her frustration.</p><p>Lena was bouncing Liam in her arms distractedly. Her son was crying loudly and fussing like he was facing a battle himself, and she tried to soothe him gently while more and more agents started to hover around them, making a shield from the curious eyes that wanted to know what had happened to their hero. Lena choked back a sob, wishing nothing more than to join Alex’s side and make sure Kara would be okay.</p><p>“Alex, move.” J’onn and James had joined them at some point as well, and the older black man was leaning down to press a firm hand against Alex’s shoulder. He squeezed her shoulder and tried to pull her away gently, but Alex didn’t budge. “Alex, we need to take her in.”</p><p>Just before Lena could start yelling, desperate to get Kara some help, the short brunette approached Alex and kindly nudged J’onn away so she could crouch beside his agent. Lena had no idea what she said and her vision was blurred with tears, but it must have worked just fine because, a second later, Alex allowed herself to be pulled to her feet so J’onn could take a limp Supergirl on his arms. Kara looked like a <strike>stack</strike> sack of potatos, limp in J’onn’s, her head thrown back, looking so pale that everyone could see her veins underneath her skin and a bruise starting to form on the left side of her face.</p><p>Her veins were green, Lena realized and the thought made her heart sink.</p><p>She also felt limp, to be honest.</p><p>But she followed everyone inside the building, still holding a crying Liam, tentatively moving her legs and going with the flow. J’onn disappeared behind a door with Kara shortly after they exited an elevator and Lena motioned to follow him, only to be stopped by Alex. She was about to scream bloody murder, to demand that Alex let her go, when the older woman sighed deeply and ran a hand down her face.</p><p>“Can you tell me what happened? We need to know so we can help her.”</p><p>So, Lena told her. Not everything, but the important parts that she needed to know in order to save Kara. She told her about the Kryptonite chains, about the fake shot she did, and the flight back, then Alex nodded like she didn’t need to know anything else.</p><p>“We will put her under the sunlamps,” the woman declared simply.</p><p>That was far from enough, though. “Is she going to be okay?”</p><p>“She blew her powers,” Alex explained. “It happened before. It will take some time for the Kryptonite to purge from her blood and her powers return, hence the sunlamps. They will accelerate the process.” Before Lena could say anything else, Alex took a step forward. “Is he okay?”</p><p>Lena braced her son closer to her chest and looked down at him with her brows furrowed. “Lex had him inside a room for a while. I don’t... I don’t know if he did anything. He... He won’t stop crying.”</p><p>She felt like a rock had hit the pit of her stomach just thinking about the possibility that her brother hurt her son in any way. Just when she started feeling her breath start to run short, the other woman spoke again. “Come on, let’s take a look at him. Run some tests or something.”</p><p>“What about Kara?”</p><p>Alex clenched her jaw and shook her head. “J’onn will put her inside the chamber. There’s... We can’t do anything right now. I went to pre-med, I can take a look at Liam.”</p><p>Lena wanted to invade the room J’onn had just taken Kara to, but she also wanted to make sure her son was perfectly fine. She had no doubts Lex would try to hurt him to get to her. Nodding, she followed Alex to another room down the hall, barely noticing how every other agent stood behind to reunite and formulate a plan.</p><p>They entered what appeared to be a medical office, with a small bed at one of the corners and a table beside it. The entire room was painted in gray, which did little to ease Lena’s worries. Not that pink walls would have helped either, anyway.</p><p>“We don’t have a place to examine him.” Alex walked around the room until she pulled out a pen and turned back at Lena. “Not many babies around.”</p><p>She was trying to joke, Lena realized. For her own sake, Lena held back her instinctive reaction – to rudely ask her to fuck off because she wasn’t in the mood. Instead, the younger woman pushed herself on top of the bed in a sitting position, holding Liam with his back turned at her chest. He was still crying, loud and hard, but Alex hand him the pen and that seemed to distract him enough to allow her to pull out a small flashlight from inside her pocket. Sniffling, Liam looked down at the pen being held by his unsteady little fingers while Alex checked his pupils without disturbing him.</p><p>“Do you think we need to run blood tests?” Alex asked after removing the back of her hand from his forehead. His cheeks were red but Lena was sure it was from crying and not from an actual fever.</p><p>Lena shivered at the thought, but she nodded nonetheless. “Just to be safe.”</p><p>The agent nodded. “Of course. I will be right back.”</p><p>Alex was back in less than five minutes, but she wasn’t alone. The same short brunette that had spoken with her before was following her close behind, holding out a tray while Alex spoke with her in quick whispers. The redhead stopped as soon as the door closed behind them and she tried to smile at Lena, although it looked more like a grimace.</p><p>“This is Detective Sawyer,” she introduced the other brunette while waving a hand in her direction. “She works for the Metropolis Police Department. She was helping us with the case.”</p><p>Lena wanted to ask what exactly was the help because Kara and her had to save themselves. She didn’t want to be rude, well, to be honest, she didn’t have the strength to be rude at that moment – not when she had other things to worry about.</p><p>With a deep sigh, Lena nodded once. “Nice to meet you, detective.”</p><p>The woman tilted her head in acknowledgement while Alex took the tray from her hands to start getting the needles ready. The detective stood a few feet from Lena, both hands on her hips and flashing her badge, before she addressed the reason why she had followed the other woman inside.</p><p>“If it’s okay with you, I would like to ask a few questions. The sooner we do this, the better. This way, you can’t forget any important details.”</p><p>“I doubt I will ever forget the worst day of my life,” Lena mumbled under her breath, doing her best to hold Liam in her lap and stop him from moving too much. He must have sensed something was about to happen to him. “But keep going.”</p><p>The woman offered her what was supposed to be a soothing smile. “Can you tell us what happened?”</p><p>“What part?” Lena scoffed.</p><p>“From the start.”</p><p>Before she could actually speak, Alex approached her with a needle and pointed at Liam. “Can you hold him?”</p><p>“Have you ever drawn blood from a baby before?” She asked, although there weren’t many options lingering around to do the task instead.</p><p>To her surprise, Alex nodded. She didn’t know if she could trust that or no, but she did help hold Liam’s arm so the woman could take a sample from his blood. Liam, as expected, started crying again but quickly stopped when Alex offered him a bunch of keys that he started to shake. It was still noisy, but at least he stopped crying.</p><p>“Lillian paid me a visit,” Lena started after making sure he was fine. “She handed me some file I haven’t even had the chance to look at and then left..”</p><p>“Information about the Supers,” Alex supplied for her while collecting the samples to run the tests. “I read it.”</p><p>Well, Lena wanted to ask her when, but she didn’t need to be a genius to figure out why Alex had run from her house that day. She did want to ask why, although she also didn’t feel like starting a fight right now. So, she just pursed her lips together for a few seconds.</p><p>“Lex also showed up, after you left my place. He wanted me to leave with him to go somewhere. I told him I wasn’t going anywhere, so he stormed inside my apartment to find Liam. He knew what to do to get to me,” Lena sighed and bent her head so she could press a kiss on top of her son’s head. The baby looked up when he felt the contact and gave her a large smile that made her heart swell with love. “I called Sam to ask her to take care of Liam, but of course Lex had other plans. He came back to get us and then took us to an abandoned building just outside town. As soon as we walked inside, he took Liam from me and started talking about what he needed me to do.” She paused, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. “I had no idea what he was asking from me. Not until... Not until... Supergirl got there.”</p><p>“That’s okay,” Alex interrupted. “Maggie knows it’s Kara.”</p><p>Lena frowned, confused as to why a detective was allowed to know Supergirl’s secret, her eyes moving to study the woman in front of her. Detective Sawyer didn’t budge under her glare and Lena was forced to look away when Liam tugged at her hair. She closed her hand around his smaller one, trying to nudge him to let go of the strand of dark hair.</p><p>“Superman said something about a substance capable of poisoning every alien,” the detective spoke next. “Was that his plan?”</p><p>“Yes,” Lena sighed and allowed Liam to hold her finger instead. He did that with Kara’s finger when the blonde was trying to put him to sleep and the memory stung her heart painfully.</p><p>She didn’t need to tell about her injecting a neutral substance in Kara because she already did that, and she had no idea what else they needed to know or how much more she could take before passing out from exhaustion. Lena was also watching with eagle eyes while Alex ran the tests on a computer across the room.</p><p>“How did you get out?”</p><p>Lena didn’t exactly know how to answer that. She still wasn’t sure she understood what happened. One second, they were certain that it was over, then, in the next one, Lillian was demanding that she should leave because Lex was not going to spare her life. It was already surprising enough because she never thought her mother was going to do anything to help her, but then Lillian decided that Kara was the one who needed to get out.</p><p>She spared Kara’s life. And Lena had no idea why.</p><p>“Lex got distracted with something,” she said. “And my mother... didn’t stop us.”</p><p>That was one way to put it, albeit it wasn’t the whole truth. The whole truth was inexplicable though.</p><p>Lillian let Kara go. The same woman who had tried to kill her in the past actually looked at her in the eyes and said she should leave. And Kara didn’t leave. She stayed. She tried to negotiate, said she wouldn’t go alone, tried to convince her mother to let Lena and Liam go as well. Kara was willing to die instead of saving her own ass. Kara would die, she gave up on her life twice – when she told Lena to inject the venom in her and then when she refused to leave alone.</p><p>And now Kara was alone in a room, blacked out, in pain, and there was nothing Lena could do about it.</p><p>“I want to see Kara.”</p><p>Maggie nodded but she didn’t move out of the way. “We’re going after Lex and Lillian. Is there a chance you can identify the building you went to?”</p><p>The younger brunette thought about it for a second before shaking her head. “About two or three minutes after the town sign. I’m not sure about the location.”</p><p>“That’s okay, it’s already helpful.” The detective smiled again, tilted her head, and took a step back.</p><p>Before she could go, though, Lena spoke again. “You don’t think I have something to do with this?”</p><p>“From where I’m standing, you’re also a victim, Ms. Luthor.” With that, she finally opened the door, threw a pointed look at Alex and left.</p><p>They stayed in silence for a while, disturbed only when Liam would gurgle or shake the keys Alex gave him. After endless minutes, the redhead cleared her throat and looked up from the computer.</p><p>“He’s fine. There’s nothing in his blood and he looks physically okay.”</p><p>Relief ran down her body and settled inside her chest as Lena hugged her son carefully not to disturb him. “Can I go to Kara now?”</p><p>Alex sighed deeply rather than allow her to do just that and the agent leaned against the table with both hands before looking up with big sorrowful eyes. “I’m sorry, Lena.”</p><p>“What are you sorry for?”</p><p>“For thinking you had anything to do with this,” Alex sighed again, pushed herself back to lean against the wall and crossed her arms. “It came to my knowledge recently that I wasn’t being very fair with you. I assumed you were involved with this insane plan instead of giving you the benefit of the doubt.”</p><p>Lena just looked at her without saying a thing. There were a lot of things she wanted to say, but none of them seemed to fit the moment. Instead, she only nodded and glanced at Liam so she wouldn’t have to see the woman’s face for longer. “That’s okay.”</p><p>Alex also remained in silence for a minute before a humorless chuckle escaped her lips. “Kara will be mad at me after she wakes up.”</p><p>“Kara will feel a lot of things after she wakes up,” Lena whispered under her breath. “Can we please go see her now?”</p><p>“She probably won’t wake up for a while,” the agent argued. “A day or two, even.”</p><p>“I don’t care,” the brunette gritted her teeth for a brief second. “I want to see her.”</p><p>Alex relented with a nod and a sigh. She pushed herself from the wall and started making her way to the door while Lena jumped from the bed at the same time she moved Liam so she was perched on her hip. They had barely stepped outside the hallway when a blur of dark hair hit Lena like a train, pushing her back inside whilst crushing her into a hug.</p><p>“Lena!”</p><p>“Sam?” She did her best to hug her friend back with only one arm while trying to look past the dark mane of messy hair. It was clear Sam had been in distress.</p><p>“I came to your apartment after you called me and you were gone!” Sam pulled away but kept her at arms length. Her eyes were red because of the tears and her bottom lip was trembling slightly.</p><p>“How did you know where I was?”</p><p>“Alex texted to tell me you were safe.”</p><p>Lena arched both eyebrows. “And she just let you walk inside a secret government organization?”</p><p>“Like I could have stopped her,” Alex said with a side smile and both women turned to stare at her. The agent shifted her weight from one leg to another awkwardly, one hand raising to scratch the back of her neck, before she cleared her throat. “Do you still want to see her?”</p><p>“Go,” Sam whispered gently. “I can stay with Liam. You go and make sure your girl is still in one piece.”</p><p>Lena took up on her offer, sliding Liam into her arms and kissing the top of his head. Then, she motioned for Alex to lead the way and the redhead quickly walked past a few doors before opening one of them. Lena slipped inside the room after her, noticing that J’onn was still there, watching over Kara like a hawk.</p><p>Kara, on the other hand, was lying on top of a metal table with a huge lamp flashing right into her face. She was still wearing her suit, both hands crossed on her chest, her chest rising and falling like a rhythmic slow dance. When her eyes fell on the girl’s face, Lena felt like she could breathe again. Liam was fine and safe, and although she was exhibiting a nasty black eye, Kara was alive.</p><p>That’s what she had been praying for since the beginning.</p><p>“How is she?”</p><p>Alex was the one who asked but Lena turned around to face the tall man while waiting for his answer.</p><p>“Stable,” J’onn’s deep voice filled the room and broke the silence that had fallen around them. “I believe she will be fine in a couple of days. We just have to wait for the Kryptonite to wear off.”</p><p>“What is this on her arm?”</p><p>“She was shot.” J’onn anticipated the shared panic from the women behind him because he quickly raised his hand to stop them from saying anything. “She’s fine. It’s just a scratch. As I said before, once the Kryptonite gets out of her system, she will be fine.”</p><p>“Is there anything we can do to help it go faster?”</p><p>“I’m afraid not,” J’onn replied to her question with a bit of sorrow in his words. “It’s not a lethal dose, so her body will eventually absorb it and her powers will return. For now, all we can do is let her rest under the sunlamps.”</p><p>Alex sighed next. “Superman is going to meet some of our agents outside town to go after Lex and Lillian.”</p><p>“Tell him to take care. We don’t know how much Kryptonite they have.”</p><p>“Of course,” Alex took one last look at her sister before shaking her head sadly. “I will call Eliza.”</p><p>Once she was alone with J’onn, Lena felt a little weird. They met once with other people around and now they were alone watching as Supergirl breathed in and out. The silence was broken by the tall man only a minute later though.</p><p>“You can stay, if you wish. I have to go find Agent Dox  to discuss a few things.” Before she could even say anything, J’onn turned around and started walking to the door. He made a brief pause to put a large hand on her shoulder. “She’s going to be fine.”</p><p>For some reason, Lena believed in him.</p><p>He left shortly after, closing the door behind him, and Lena finally allowed her eyes to wander. Kara was attached to some wires that were keeping track of her heartbeats and blood pressure, the machine doing a constant bip in the quiet room from where it was located beside her bed. There were some other medical machines spread around, some silver trays, and a small table with wheels at the corner. There was also an old-looking chair, the lights were dim and the room itself was freezing cold.</p><p>Kara was just lying there, hands crossed, looking pale and unconscious, giving no indication that she would wake up anytime soon. Lena took a deep breath before crossing the room to pull the chair closer to the bed. As expected, it was uncomfortable and a little wobbly, but Lena didn’t care. Sitting there beside Kara, she allowed her tears to fall. It had been a hell of a day and the events had finally caught up on her.</p><p>Feeling alone and quite desperate to occupy her mind with something else, Lena reached out to grab one of the hero’s hands, holding it between hers, but letting it rest against Kara’s chest so she wouldn’t move her much. Lena dropped her head until her forehead was resting against the cold surface and she frowned a second later when she realized there wasn’t a mattress to make it more comfortable for the blonde.</p><p>“You better wake up, Kara.” Lena sighed, raising her head and resting her chin on her forearm so she could look at the hero’s face. “I will be so mad if you don’t.” There was no reaction and she sighed again. “I have something to share with you but I’m not going to say this when you can’t hear me, so you better wake up soon. I should have said it before but I will make up for it by saying it every day.”</p><p>Then, feeling the fatigue finally taking over, Lena closed her eyes.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Waking up after blowing her powers was still something Kara wasn’t used to. Not that she wished to get used to something like that because, if she had blown her powers, it was because something bad had happened. Even so, all the times it happened, Kara woke up feeling like she was being slowly pulled from the ocean. At first, all she could hear was the pounding against her ears, all she could feel was the pressure on every muscle of her body. She couldn’t breathe or open her eyes, but, as she got closer and closer to the surface, the light started to shine, her surroundings became louder and her lungs started to gasp for air desperately.</p><p>That’s how she woke up. Gasping for air, eyes opening and going as wide as plates, body shooting up to a sitting position. She couldn’t sustain her position for longer as she quickly fell back. Her dry throat caused a coughing fit to start and Kara closed her eyes again.</p><p>“Kara?”</p><p>Her ears were still pounding so it took her a few seconds to even realize someone had talked to her. It took her even longer to recognize the voice but, as soon as she did, she turned her head to stare at the other woman sitting on a chair beside the bed. Lena had a blanket draped over her legs as it had just fallen there, her eyes were a little puffy and she sounded a little groggy. She was probably asleep and Kara’s outburst must have woken her up.</p><p>“Hey,” Kara whispered back, her voice low and husky.</p><p>“How are you feeling?” Lena asked as she straightened herself on the chair to reach out for Kara’s hand.</p><p>The blonde allowed her to entwine their fingers, although she felt too limp to squeeze her hand back like she wanted to. “Never been better,” she replied with a sheepish smile.</p><p>Lena huffed as she pushed herself to her feet. “I need to call Alex. I promised her I would.”</p><p>“How long... How long have I been out?” Kara tried to lick her dry lips but her tongue felt like ash and did nothing to help her.</p><p>“Two days.”</p><p>Kara nodded slowly, her eyes falling closed again, and she allowed her body to relax back on the improvised bed. The sunlamp was too bright right above her face and, even though she was awake, her powers still weren’t totally back. She still felt tired and sore, and she guessed it would still take a few days for her to recover completely.</p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p>Lena chuckled a little. “I’m fine.”</p><p>“And Liam? Is he okay? Where is he?” Kara tried to get up as though she was about to go looking for him, but Lena gently put a hand against her shoulder and pushed her back down.</p><p>“He’s fine. Sam is taking care of him. It’s the middle of the night, Kara.”</p><p>“Oh,” the blonde breathed out and blinked a couple of times. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>“I was making sure you don’t run away.”</p><p>The hero laughed at that, a bit weak and breathlessly, but she found the joke a bit amusing. “Where did you think I was going to run to?”</p><p>Lena shrugged, her lips curling into a crooked smile as her green eyes swept through Kara’s features. “Maybe to get potstickers.”</p><p>At that, the blonde hummed and licked her lips again. “I <em>am </em>hungry, actually.”</p><p>The younger woman laughed freely, accepting the comfort that came from the fact that Kara was being <em>Kara </em>again. On top of the bed, Kara felt the same relief to see that Lena was fine, sitting there with her, laughing and smiling that beautiful smile she loved so much. Which reminded her of something.</p><p>“Hey,” she called in a low tone, tugging at Lena’s hand so she would get closer. The brunette took a step forward and reached out to run a hand through the blonde locks, smiling down at Kara in a way that made the hero’s heart leap inside her chest. She tried to ignore how the machine measuring her vital signs reacted with a louder bip, but she was sure her cheeks acquired a pink shade. “Guess what?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I lo-“</p><p>“Don’t,” Lena quickly interrupted her while shaking her head. “We’re not doing this here, not now.”</p><p>Kara frowned. “But-“</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“But I want to-“</p><p>The brunette kept shaking her head. “I will be so mad at you if you say it now.”</p><p>“Lena...” Kara waited until the other woman looked at her again, although Lena sighed a little exasperatedly. She could tell it was just an act though and that made her smile. “I love you.”</p><p>“Fuck you, Kara,” Lena rolled her eyes and, for a brief second, Kara wondered if she truly fucked this up. But then the younger woman threw herself on top of her, doing the best to hug her in the weird position they found themselves in. “I love you too.”</p><p>Kara chuckled, closed her eyes to stop tears from spilling, and hid her nose between the raven hair. “See? Was it that hard?”</p><p>“Shut up.”</p><p>Lena left shortly after, saying she really needed to call Alex so she could take a look at her and make sure everything was fine – and also because her sister apparently made her promise she would notify her as soon as Kara was awake. With nothing to distract herself with, and still feeling completely drained, she fell asleep before the other woman returned.</p><p>The next time she woke up, it was to the sound of muffled voices talking around her. She couldn’t make out the words or the voices at first, too tired to open her eyes and check it herself, but it slowly came to her.</p><p>“She will be fine,” that was Alex.</p><p>“I told you she would,” and that was J’onn.</p><p>“Yes, well, sorry for getting concerned about seeing my sister in a coma.”</p><p>“It could hardly be called a coma, Alex.”</p><p>“Whatever. I checked her vitals, everything is normal. Lena said she was awake for a few minutes before falling asleep again, so I gather that she still needs to rest some more.”</p><p>Kara wasn’t going to be against the idea if they let her go home for that.</p><p>“Did you get any luck with Lex?”</p><p>“The agents are still looking for him. He was gone when they found the building.”</p><p>Guess she would have to do the opposite of resting after all, even if they let her go home.</p><p>She wouldn’t rest knowing that Lex was still outside, still on the loose, still free to put his plan on track. Lex was an obsessed man with a dark plan; he wasn’t going to let it go before he got what he so desperately wanted, and Kara would rather die than have him fulfill his goals to end every living alien walking around on Earth.</p><p>“Hey, Kara, the fuck?”</p><p>She didn’t realize she was trying to get up until Alex was pushing her back. It was clear that her powers still weren’t back because her sister managed to push her without a problem, although Kara groaned and tried to shove her hand away all the way until her back hit the cold metal again.</p><p>“Lay down.”</p><p>“Lex...”</p><p>“Maggie and Kal are taking care of it, okay?” Alex argued and J’onn soon joined her in the task to keep Kara down. With him there to help, there was no way Kara was going to be able to do what she wanted, so she relented with a deep sigh. “You need to rest.”</p><p>Well, that sucked.</p><p>“And you will listen to us this time,” J’onn’s deep voice left no space for a discussion, even if she wished to defend her choice of running away from them like that.</p><p>“Lena is safe, Liam is safe,” Alex reminded her in a gentle voice that surprised her a little bit. “You can rest. We will take care of it.”</p><p>Before she could say anything else, there was a knock on the door and one of the agents peeked inside to call for J’onn. The man left behind the agent, after glaring at Kara in a clear attempt to tell her to do as she was being told, and then she was alone with Alex. Her sister was looking at her a little funny and, if the situation was different, she would have pulled Alex for a hug already.</p><p>“Did you make J’onn read her mind?” she asked instead, not bothering to hide the displeasure from her voice.</p><p>Alex sighed. “No, I didn’t.” She paused, frowning her brows deeply, before shaking her head. “I’m sorry I doubted you.”</p><p>“Not me.”</p><p>“You’re right,” the redhead sighed again. “I’m sorry I doubted Lena.”</p><p>“I’m not the one you should be saying this to.”</p><p>“I’m trying, Kara.” Alex gave her a pointed look, clearly unhappy with Kara’s denial to accept her words for what they were, but she was just as sad as well. “I apologized to her and I’m apologizing to you. I should have known she had nothing to do with this.”</p><p>Kara inhaled sharply, thinking about a few words she would like to say to her sister, but decided that was not the time to do it. She knew they would have to talk about it in the future, to clean the air and make sure something like that would happen again, but that was the future. Right now, she was tired and Alex was looking like she was one second away from having a nervous breakdown.</p><p>“Hey,” Kara called gently and offered her a small smile. “I’m fine.”</p><p>“Yes, well,” Alex scoffed, “you almost weren’t.”</p><p>The hero shrugged. “But I am, so it’s fine.”</p><p>Her sister bit the inside of her cheek, probably to stop herself from saying anything that would make Kara mad, before she nodded and leaned over to kiss her forehead. “Lena is outside. Do you want me to bring her in?”</p><p>“Wait,” Kara took one of her hands from under the blanket that was thrown on top of her at some point while she slept and ran her fingers through her messy locks. “How do I look?”</p><p>It got the desired effect – Alex chuckled and rolled her eyes before shoving her away playfully. “Like someone punched your eye.”</p><p>Confused, the hero frowned. “What?”</p><p>“You don’t remember it?” Alex smirked now, pulling a cellphone from her pocket so Kara could see her reflection on it. “I’m sure this is the look Lena likes, though. Girls like a badass..”</p><p>“Shut up,” Kara mumbled distractedly while poking the dark circle around her left eye with the tip of her index finger. She winced a little when it stung and hissed in pain.</p><p>“Don’t worry. It was way worse before. You’re already recovering.”</p><p>“How much worse?” Kara groaned and handed the phone back to her sister.</p><p>“Pretty enough that Lena still wanted to stay by your side,” Alex smiled down at her, put her phone away and then patted her arm. “I will call her in, but, please, try to make her leave. She’s driving me crazy with all of her questions.”</p><p>“You deserve it.”</p><p>“Point taken.”</p><p>Lena was back the second Alex stepped out of the room and Kara could picture her standing outside the door anxiously waiting for some news. The woman walked straight back to her side, already grabbing one of her hands and bringing it up to kiss her knuckles, her green eyes wide and filled with a kindness that almost took her breath away.</p><p>“How are you feeling now?”</p><p>Kara managed to squeeze her hand and throw her a soft smile. “I’m ready to kick some ass.”</p><p>Lena scoffed, rolled her eyes and clenched her jaw. “You won’t be doing such a thing anytime soon. If I have anything to say on the matter, you will never kick another ass while I live and breathe.”</p><p>“Oh, come on! How would I have any fun?” the blonde teased with a smirk.</p><p>“Is dating a single mother not enough for you?” Lena arched one eyebrow, albeit it was clear by the way the corner of her lips twitched that she was trying to hold back a smile.</p><p>Kara pursed her lips and furrowed her brows while she pretended to think about it for a second, before she shrugged. “The diapers are always a challenge.”</p><p>“Stop making fun of my son’s intestine,” the younger woman playfully punched her shoulder, drawing a happy laugh from the hero. “I will teach him to call you Wonder Woman if you don’t.”</p><p>Kara’s eyes widened in mocked surprise and her jaws dropped. “You wouldn’t!”</p><p>“You just watch.”</p><p>“I can’t have his first words to be that!”</p><p>Lena raised both eyebrows and crossed her arms over her chest while angling her body in a way that would allow her to glare at Kara and stomp her foot at the same time. “Excuse me? His first word will be ‘mommy’.”</p><p>Kara shook her head once, her eyes moving up and down Lena’s body for a second. “You just watch.”</p><p>Finally, Lena allowed a smile to turn her lips upwards. Her shoulders dropped right after, along with her hands that immediately reached out to touch Kara again, and then she was leaning against the bed with her hip. Kara also smiled, bright and loving.</p><p>“I was so scared,” Lena admitted after a minute of them just staring at each other’s eyes.</p><p>The hero’s expression softened instantly. Using the small amount of strength that she had recovered, Kara sat up, groaning a little as she went, then she kicked her legs off of the bed and pulled Lena into a tight hug. The woman didn’t complain about her moving around, which was enough indication of how much Lena needed that moment of comfort. The shorter woman hid her face on the crook of Kara’s neck as her arms curled around Kara’s middle almost desperately. In return, the hero kissed the side of her head and held her as strongly as she could without causing any harm.</p><p>“I’m sorry it happened,” Kara whispered against the dark hair but Lena was fast to shake her head to dismiss her words. “No, I am. If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have to go through something like that.”</p><p>“Don’t you dare!” Lena pulled away enough to look at the blonde’s face, her green eyes showing a rage that wasn’t directed at her. “Believe me, Lex didn’t even know something was going on between us until I was already there. He was just being his usual dick self.”</p><p>“But your mother...”</p><p>“Mother knew, yes. And I can’t say she wouldn’t do anything with that knowledge, but Lex taking me away and demanding me to help with his plan had nothing to do with us. That’s just my family, Kara.”</p><p>Feeling a tightness in her chest, the hero pulled her in for another hug and inhaled deeply the smell of Lena, just Lena. “I would never have forgiven myself if something happened to any of you,” she mumbled mostly to herself as she started battling tears that burned the back of her eyes.</p><p>“It wouldn’t have been your fault.”</p><p>“I should have protected you, Lena,” Kara bit her bottom lip when it started shaking too much but she was helpless to stop her tears for any longer. “I should have...”</p><p>“Shh,” the other woman soothed her quietly, turning her head to press a warm kiss on her cheek, and Kara felt herself melt at the gesture. “You saved us, that’s what matters. You came and you took us out.”</p><p>“I didn’t save us. Your mother let us go.” At the memory, Kara frowned and her arms pulled Lena impossibly closer. “Why do you think she did that?”</p><p>“I have no idea,” Lena admitted. “Maybe that was just another plan. It doesn’t matter now. The only thing that matters is that you need to rest.”</p><p>Kara sighed. “I’m feeling okay.”</p><p>“Kara, you’re hugging me with half the strength you usually use and you’re looking like you’re giving everything you have to do it, so lay back down and rest some more, okay?”</p><p>She could hear the concern beneath her tone and decided that it wouldn’t do. She needed Lena to smile again. Kara pulled away, puffed her chest and put both hands on her waist the best she could to pull off her signature pose while sitting. “Don’t fear, noble lady,” she declared in a pompous voice. “I’m unkillable!”</p><p>Lena huffed before she started to push the hero back down. “I’m not sure that’s even a word.”</p><p>Pulling her legs back on the bed, the blonde’s brows knitted like she was thinking hard about something. “Oh, golly.”</p><p>Lena paused halfway pulling the covers on top of her to give her a weird look. “Did you just say ‘golly’?” Biting back a smile, Kara nodded. Lena huffed again and shook her head. “You most certainly need to rest some more. I think you might have hit your head.”</p><p>“I must have because I’m seeing an angel.”</p><p>“Did Alex gave you any medication? I think it’s affecting you.”</p><p>They both stopped their bickering to just softly smile at each other before Lena leaned down to give her a quick peck. Kara let her eyes remain closed as a lazy smile curled her lips. She felt when Lena sat again on the chair beside her and her body relaxed instantly when she realized the woman was staying there with her.</p><p>“Rest, Kara. I will save you a diaper to change when you wake up.”</p><p>“Seriously, we should take Liam to a doctor,” Kara mumbled already halfway to dream land.</p><p>“Stop making fun of our son’s intestine,” Lena repeated, although there was a small difference in her words this time. Kara was so exhausted however, that she couldn’t quite place what it was. Lena’s tone was soft and soothing though and it made Kara’s chest feel all warm and fuzzy.”</p><p>If she wasn’t feeling so damn sleepy, Kara would have kissed her again.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Take care.”</p><p>“Lena, I’m fine.”</p><p>“Yes, but take care, there's a step.”</p><p>“Lena.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Kara looked down so she could stare at the green orbs of the woman she so deeply loved, a small smile on her lips, before she bent down to peck the plump lips that had stolen her heart five months before. “Do you think they would be letting me go home if I wasn’t perfectly fine?”</p><p>“I don’t know if these people are as crazy as you are,” Lena argued, albeit she was also smiling now and Kara knew she was just taunting her more than anything.</p><p>The hero rolled her eyes from where she was standing by the door and nearly missed her sister doing the same across the hallway. After four days locked inside the DEO, they were finally allowing her to leave. The Kryptonite had been completely purged from her body and her powers were returning fast, so she could go after promising she would spend some time out in the sun and wouldn’t be pushing herself to do anything more than rest. Her eye had healed just fine and the nasty scratch on her arm left by a bullet that she didn’t even feel touching her was almost totally closed.</p><p>She still wanted to go find Lex though. Kal had said he was going to take care of it, that she should rest and take care of herself, which didn’t make her feel exactly better, but also allowed her to focus on what was truly important. Taking care of Lena and Liam. After what happened, she vowed to never lose track of them ever again. She would be damned if any harm fell over them again.</p><p>“Well, these crazy people aren’t totally crazy,” Alex jumped in. “We’re making her go home with you so you can assure she will follow the rules.”</p><p>That was news to her.</p><p>Gaping, Kara looked between the two most important women in the world for her like they had just stabbed her in the back. “What?”</p><p>Lena ignored her so she could keep leading the way. She was holding Kara’s waist like the blonde was just learning how to walk, which was a little ridiculous because Kara was feeling perfectly fine – a little powerless, but fine. Lena kept helping her to walk down the hall and Kara allowed her the illusion of being all of her support, although she wasn’t throwing even half of it against Lena.</p><p>“I don’t need a nanny,” Kara pouted and resisted the urge to cross her arms like a petulant child.</p><p>“Good, because I won’t be one,” Lena scoffed. “I will just make sure you stay in and take care of herself.”</p><p>Grumbling to herself, Kara tried to ignore how every DEO agent stopped to watch Supergirl being carried away by a shorter woman with Agent Danvers following them close on their heels. She wondered how many of them would assume Lena was Supergirl’s girlfriend – as amusing as that sounded – but she couldn’t exactly enter as Supergirl and leave as Kara Danvers, so she had to put on her suit again to go home.</p><p>Or, well, to Lena’s penthouse apparently.</p><p>“Call me when you get there and call me if you need anything,” Alex instructed right before they slipped inside a dark car that Kara assumed was one of the DEO’s dozens of black cars.</p><p>“Can we stop to buy food?” Kara asked.</p><p>“If you don’t call me in ten minutes, the time that it takes to reach Lena’s building, I will send the National Guard after you,” her sister warned and there was no doubt she would actually follow her threat.</p><p>Kara sighed as she sat down in the backseat. “You’re not fun.”</p><p>The ride to Lena’s house was silent. One of the agents was driving them back and it left an awkward silence that Kara had no idea how to fill. She also couldn’t reach over and hold Lena’s hand because then it would be more than clear that Lena had a thing with Supergirl, which would be very weird to explain when Kara and Lena went public with their relationship. Well, not that Lena was exactly a celebrity, but the reporters, especially around National City, were always interested in whatever happened in the Luthor family.</p><p>When they exited the elevator on Lena’s floor, Kara sighed in relief. She wasn’t tired, but she also wasn’t feeling her best either. Lena had apparently added another layer to her security system to enter her apartment because she had to type a password on a board beside the door and it also scanned her fingerprint, to which the hero whistled lowly.</p><p>“I don’t want any more surprises,” Lena explained with a shrug while pushing the door open. “I already asked the building owner to check the security in the elevator and told him about the lack of ethics from the people he hired.”</p><p>Well, Kara was not going to complain about adding more security to guarantee Lena and Liam were safe. She could even give some ideas if someone asks her.</p><p>As per usual, Lena kicked her heels off as soon as she stepped inside her apartment and Kara gingerly followed her while looking down at her dirty boots. She should have asked to make a quick stop at her place so she could grab some clothes. Maybe she could give it a quick fly later; she was already feeling much better and if she did it when the sun was still out maybe she could be back before...</p><p>“Gah!”</p><p>Kara looked up so fast that her neck snapped almost painfully. There, standing in the middle of the room, was Sam, holding a giggling Liam in her arms while he wiggled his chubby arms to her direction like he was trying to reach out of her. Without thinking twice, Kara ran towards them with only one goal in mind.</p><p>“The hell?!” Sam shouted when Kara suddenly appeared in front of her.</p><p>“Sorry!” Kara shouted back without paying attention to her words because she could only focus on one thing. Liam was giggling happily at her now, clapping his hands and throwing his little body towards her as though he could get into her arms by sheer will. “Hey, baby boy,” she said, her voice acquiring a level of sweet and gentleness that only the baby could get. “Oh, how I missed you!”</p><p>She gently wrapped her arms around him and Sam slowly let him go after making sure Kara wouldn’t drop him – which was absurd to even consider! As soon as she had Liam in her arms, Kara pressed him tightly against her chest, closed her eyes and rested her cheek on top of his head while she started to bounce her body up and down.</p><p>“Oh, Liam,” she breathed out before inhaling deeply to absorb the baby smell that she loved so much. “Rao, LK. You scared me. I’m so sorry, baby, so sorry.” She was crying, she realized a second later. She also didn’t find it in herself to care. Instead, the hero started walking around the room with him safely in her arms, gently bouncing him and pressing feather-like kisses on top of his head. “I promise you that I will never allow something like that to happen again. I will take care of you. Nothing bad will ever happen, okay? Rao, I missed you so much.”</p><p>Still walking, Kara reached the door that leads to the balcony and she cautiously opened it so she could slip outside with him. The sun was warm but not hot enough to burn his sensitive skin, and, as soon as the rays touched her own skin, Kara felt alive again. Liam seemed content enough to just be held by her, one thumb inside his mouth as he rested his head against her chest and closed his eyes, enjoying the light taps on his back and the gentle rocking that was putting him back to sleep.</p><p>“I love you,” Kara mumbled with her lips pressed against his dark hair. He had so much hair already, it was almost funny to look at, but it made him look so cute.</p><p>“Should I worry?”</p><p>She turned around to see Lena approaching them with a mug in one hand and a soft smile in her lips. The brunette stopped just a few steps behind Kara, tilting her head to the side and flashing the double dimples that always made Kara’s heart beat a little faster. It wasn’t different at the time.</p><p>“About what?”</p><p>Lena shrugged. “You’re crying a lot these days.”</p><p>Kara huffed a laugh. “Happy tears,” she promised. “You’re safe, Liam is safe. That’s all I asked for.”</p><p>At that, the brunette took the last steps to get to her. Lena put one hand on her waist, gently coaxing her to turn around again, at the same time she leaned over to put her mug on top of the railing, balancing it precariously. Kara followed her lead, turning around to face the city again, and the shorter woman was fast to hug her from behind, resting her forehead in between the hero’s shoulder blades. One of her arms was crossed on Kara’s chest, her hand grasping at the opposite shoulder, while the other one was wrapped around her waist, and Lena took a deep breath once she was satisfied.</p><p>They stood like that for only a few seconds before the brunette huffed in annoyance. Before Kara could ask what the problem was, Lena leaned back enough to unfasten the clips of her cape so it could fall from her shoulders. Kara couldn’t help but chuckle at the impatience Lena seemed to have with her suit.</p><p>“It keeps getting in the way,” the other woman mumbled while going back to the original position.</p><p>This time, Kara allowed her body to rest back against her with a smile. “Should I not expect a cape in my next suit?”</p><p>“I will give you one if you want it, but that’s ridiculous,” Lena huffed again.</p><p>“Because it gets in your way?”</p><p>“Yes!”</p><p>Kara laughed happily at her outburst, and Liam moved against her chest with a frown. “Whoops.” She gave him an apologetic smile, although he couldn’t see it since he was already asleep, before pressing a kiss on his head. “Are you groping me in front of your friend?”</p><p>“No,” Lena sighed. “Sam left. And I’m not groping you.”</p><p>“Uh,” Kara smirked. “So that’s not your hand on my ass?”</p><p>Lena pulled away enough to sneak one hand between them to grab Kara’s ass for a second before the blonde yelled in surprise and jumped away, shouting an “Oi!”. The brunette only chuckled. “You asked for it.”</p><p>“In front of your son!”</p><p>“He’s asleep,” Lena argued, pulling her back so they could hug again. This time, the shorter woman placed her chin against her shoulder so she could also look to the city.</p><p>“You’re insufferable,” Kara replied while shaking her head, although everyone would be able to hear the smile in her voice. “And I think your son just pooped.”</p><p>“I think you just make it up to make him look like a poop machine.”</p><p>They both chuckled at that. Kara looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms and couldn’t help the loving smile that spread over her face. “He’s a cute pooping machine, though.” She paused when he frowned in his sleep to run a finger down his nose until he relaxed again. “I read that we should start playing some music for him now. He will start building the groundwork to his first words, so we should talk, read and put on some music.”</p><p>Lena hummed, probably because she was already aware of those pieces of information, before she pulled away. Kara heard as she walked back inside her apartment and started moving a few things around until the distinct chords of a song reached her ears. The hero couldn’t help but groan.</p><p>“Beethoven?”</p><p>“You were the one who thought I listen to classical music,” Lena replied still from inside, but Kara could hear the barely hidden laugh as clear as day.</p><p>“Well, for him to learn words, we need music with actual words, you know?”</p><p>The music quickly changed – the last signal she needed to know the woman was just messing with her – and the piano was replaced by a gentle swing. Kara recognized the ‘Moon River’ chords just a second before Lena was back, wrapping her in another hug.</p><p>“By the way, that was Mozart.”</p><p>Biting her bottom lip to hold back a smile, Kara nodded. “I know.”</p><p>Lena huffed as she reached out to grab her mug again. “And you call <em>me </em>insufferable.”</p><p>“You have your moments.”</p><p>Lena hummed as she took a sip of her tea. She swallowed the lukewarm liquid first before replying. “I guess I should thank you.”</p><p>Kara frowned, not sure why she would change the subject so suddenly. “What for?”</p><p>“For saving my life again,” Lena pressed a warm kiss on the exposed skin where her shoulder met her neck and squeezed her arm around the hero’s waist. “And our son’s.”</p><p>The blonde gasped, taken completely by surprise, and immediately turned on her heels so she was staring at Lena instead. The shorter woman kept one arm around her while the other hand brought her mug back to her lips so she could hide a smile behind the rim of the porcelain. Her eyebrows were raised, her cheeks slightly pink, but her green eyes held so many feelings that Kara was out of breath for a second.</p><p>“Please, tell me if I’m overstepping here,” Lena continued when Kara failed in saying anything back. “But you have been helping me raise Liam since the day he was born, in one way or another.”</p><p>“I-I-I-“</p><p>“We can pretend I didn’t say anything if you wish, but, to me, you’re as much his parent as I am.” The tears returned full force and Kara wasn’t strong enough to stop them from falling down her cheeks. Lena tilted her head, offering her a sweet smile. “Happy tears?”</p><p>Kara nodded. “Happy tears,” she agreed in a whisper because the lump that rose in her throat was too big and too suffocating.</p><p>Lena’s smile widened and she raised her hand to cup Kara’s cheek, using her thumb to caress the soft skin of her jaw. “Good. So, thank you. I don’t even have the words to thank you properly for everything you risked to come to our rescue.”</p><p>“I would do it all over again,” the hero declared, although her shaky voice made some of the intentions behind her words get lost.</p><p>The brunette had no doubt of that though. “I know.” Lena got on the tip of her toes so she could lean and press a lingering kiss on Kara’s pink lips, careful not to disturb the baby gladly sleeping in her arms. When she pulled away, she had a serious look in her face that sobered Kara up in a second. “Don’t ever do something like that again.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I’m serious! You almost died, Kara!”</p><p>The hero swept her eyes around as though she was being part of a prank and was looking for the cameras, before she shook her head once and looked back at the other woman in confusion. “What?”</p><p>“You...” Lena took a deep breath to calm down before she shoved Kara with two fingers aimed at her shoulder. “You gave up on your life, you idiot! I’m so mad at you for that!”</p><p>“But, Lena...”</p><p>“I don’t want to hear it!” Lena huffed as she crossed her arms the best she could while still holding her mug. “Taking a shot that was supposed to kill you,” the brunette mumbled, shaking her head. “And refusing to leave. I swear...”</p><p>Kara bent her head until she was able to hold Lena’s stare again. “Hey.” She waited until Lena stopped fulminating to herself and then offered her a smile. “I would do it all over again.”</p><p>“That’s what makes me mad!” Lena rolled her eyes and scoffed.</p><p>Chuckling to herself at the woman’s antics, the blonde took a step closer to kiss her cheek. “I love you, Lena Luthor,” she whispered against the warm skin.</p><p>“Then consider never doing something like that again!”</p><p>“For once in my life, I’m happy,” Lena sputtered as though she was actually mad, but Kara could see the lingering fear behind her eyes. “I don’t have to try to be happy, I’m just happy. When I’m with you, I’m just happy. So, you’re not allowed to go around throwing your life away before trying other options!” When she saw Kara smiling, she rolled her eyes again. “Even if there aren’t other options, you can’t do that.”</p><p>“I’m not allowed to?”</p><p>“No,” Lena declared firmly and left no space for arguments.</p><p>Kara shook her head fondly. “You’re rolling your eyes a lot. Do you love me more now?”</p><p>“I shouldn’t have said that to you,” the brunette complained, although she rolled her eyes once more regardless of her words.</p><p>“See? That’s what I’m talking about.” Kara leaned to give her another kiss before Lena could keep protesting. “Come on, let’s put our son in his crib and then order some food.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Lena *to Liam*: Can you say 'mommy'?<br/>Liam: gah!<br/>Lena: Mommy. M-o-m-m-y.<br/>Liam: guh!<br/>Lena: Come on, baby, you can do it! Say 'mommy'.<br/>Kara: Watcha doing?<br/>Lena: I'm trying to teach him how to say 'mommy'.<br/>Liam *looks at Kara's eyes*: Mommy's boobs<br/>Kara *fly out of the planet*<br/>Lena *too shocked to react for five days*</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Dogs and Ducks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm happy to bring another chapter for you guys!</p><p>As per usual, my helper, you're as nice as food is</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Will you stop moving?”</p><p>Kara pouted at the rude tone her sister used but forced herself to stay quiet while Alex wrapped a new bandage around her arm. “I just want to take a look.”</p><p>“It looks like a bullet scratched your arm,” Alex huffed.</p><p>“That’s never happened before,” Kara argued. “So, I don’t know what it looks like.”</p><p>Alex rolled her eyes and added more pressure than she needed while putting some micropore to hold the bandage. Sadly for her, though, Kara woke up with her powers almost totally back so she didn’t even feel it. Her sister took a step back after she was done and started putting her medical stuff away inside a briefcase.</p><p>“Do you think it will leave a scar?”</p><p>“I don’t know.”</p><p>“My eye is already healed, but not my arm. It means it will leave a scar, right?”</p><p>“That logic makes no sense.”</p><p>“But there’s a possibility.”</p><p>“You’re doing that just to piss me off.”</p><p>Unable to hold back her smile for any longer, Kara jumped from the chair she had been sitting on while Alex took a look at her wound, forcing the redhead to take another step back so she wouldn’t get tackled to the floor.</p><p>“Lena would think I’m a badass, so it’s fine.”</p><p>“Lena wouldn’t think such a thing,” came the reply from the woman in question. Lena was sitting at the other side of the dining table, reading over the newspaper while sipping a cup of tea, and she didn’t look up when she spoke, although everyone could see a deep frown between her brows. “In fact, I would think you need to be more careful.”</p><p>Kara tilted her head to the side. “But you would still think it’s a little badass.”</p><p>Lena huffed and rolled her eyes, not moving her eyes away from the paper and refusing to give Kara any more room to tease her. The blonde chuckled to herself before glancing back at her sister, who had been watching their exchange with a weird look on her face.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Nothing,” Alex shook her head, sighed and picked up the briefcase. “I have to go back to the DEO. Call me if anything happens.”</p><p>“I will walk you to the door.”</p><p>Alex made a quick pause to pat Liam’s back where he was lying on the playmat and they quickly made their way to the door. The agent stopped and turned around as soon as she stepped in the hallway, though. She sighed deeply, and Kara waited patiently for her sister to get whatever it was off her chest.</p><p>Finally, the older woman ducked her head. “I know I already said I’m sorry, but I think I should say it again. I see the way she is around you and I should have known Lena wouldn’t cause you any harm.”</p><p>“Yeah, you should have,” Kara also sighed sadly. What Alex did still pissed her off, regardless of the fact that she couldn’t be mad at her sister for long. “You’re lucky Lena doesn’t know the things you said about her. It would break her heart.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“It broke mine because I want my sister to like the woman I love, you know.”</p><p>Alex nodded, looking properly castigated. “I’m sorry, Kara. I really am.”</p><p>As expected, Kara couldn’t be mad for much longer, so she quickly pulled Alex in for a hug. “You just need to trust more in people,” she whispered against her sister’s ear.</p><p>“I know. I promise I will step back and let you live your life the way you think it’s right. You’re a great judge of character and I should trust you more with that. I can’t say I won’t worry, though. That’s who I am.”</p><p>“Sister bear,” Kara chuckled as she pulled away.</p><p>Alex rolled her eyes. “Don’t ever say it aloud again.” She shoved the blonde away and straightened her back. “I called Sam, you know. Apologized for our fight.”</p><p>“That’s great!”</p><p>“Yes, well, she’s still mad at me. We will see how things go.”</p><p>Kara gave her a friendly smile. “She has a daughter to consider as well.”</p><p>“I know, I know. Shit, I know. I miss Ruby too.” Alex sighed and ran a hand through her short hair.</p><p>“Everything will work out in the end, you will see.” Kara grinned at her again. “I will go back to work on Monday, maybe I will see her around.”</p><p>“Please,” the redhead rolled her eyes dramatically. “I don’t need you to put out a good word about me.”</p><p>“Oh, that’s not what I was going to do,” Kara chuckled. “We were going to talk shit about you.”</p><p>Alex groaned although she had a small smile. “Perfect.”</p><p>After chuckling for a moment, Kara sobered up quickly. She took a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure Lena was still sitting in the kitchen before she lowered her voice and leaned closer to her sister.</p><p>“Do you have any news about the Luthors?”</p><p>Alex took a deep breath and shook her head, causing Kara’s stomach to drop. “I’m afraid not. I spent all night helping Maggie dig into their files to find out where they might be, but there are no leads. Clark is also helping, but we don’t want to send him flying around town when we don’t know if they have more Kryptonite or not.”</p><p>“Of course,” Kara also sighed. “He might not be as lucky as I was.”</p><p>“And that was lucky,” Alex declared firmly as her eyebrows rose to her hairline. “That’s what it was. Pure luck. So, you don’t ever try something like that again.”</p><p>The hero tilted her head but didn’t give her a direct response. Knowing she wouldn’t get her sister to agree, Alex scoffed and rolled her eyes, before she left. Kara closed the door behind her, making sure to activate every security system Lena had installed. Then she turned on her heels and walked to where Liam was playing. She threw herself on the ground beside him and picked up the puppy so she could bump his nose with it. Liam giggled happily at that and she did it again, before putting the puppy in his hands and getting up so she could finish her breakfast.</p><p>They woke up early because of Alex’s visit and, despite the large dinner they ordered from Noonan’s, Kara was starving. It was like her body was asking for more food to be able to recover faster but she wasn’t going to complain because Lena had made her amazing pancakes again. She had just stuffed the first piece of her pancake inside her mouth, being extra careful not to drop the syrup on the pajamas Lena had lent to her, when she realized Lena was still scowling at the newspaper.</p><p>“Is something wrong?” Kara asked gently as she put her fork down.</p><p>Lena pursed her lips, pressing them tightly together, the crinkle between her brows becoming even more pronounced. “The news got a hold of what happened.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>Lena put the paper down on the table and pointed at the article on the front page. There was a picture of Lena that looked a few years old, but it wasn’t surprising that the press didn’t have another one to use – Lena was a very reserved person. “They found out Lex has escaped prison. They also remembered I’m his sister,” at that, she scoffed. “They also found out about Liam.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>Kara wasn’t sure what exactly she could say to make it better. She knew just how much Lena tried to protect her son from all the scrutiny the press made around the Luthor name. She spent months, over a year, managing to hide Liam’s existence from the press and now they not only knew that Lex Luthor’s sister had a son, but they were also writing about him. Luckily, they didn’t have any photos of Liam to publish on the front page, although Kara was sure they wouldn’t rest until they had one.</p><p>“They also wrote about your downfall.”</p><p>Kara frowned at that. “It wasn’t a downfall, come on.”</p><p>Lena threw her a quick glare before looking back at the words printed in black and white. Her eyes scanned the page for another minute before she huffed, clearly angry, and pushed the paper away so hard that its pages crumpled. Concerned, Kara picked it up so she could read it herself.</p><p>With or without her powers, it only took her a minute to find the reason that got Lena so angry. In the very end, just after they narrated everything they knew about Lex Luthor’s escape, the attack against Supergirl and the operation set to lock the man away again, the writer left it open to interpretation what Lena’s part in all of this was. His last words were, in fact, a question to provoke the reader to label her a villain or a victim, and Kara felt her own blood boil.</p><p>“If they had enough information to write about how I passed out on the sidewalk, they know that I brought you back with me,” Kara growled. “They should know I saved you because you’re innocent.”</p><p>“Well, darling, there aren’t any innocent Luthors in the eyes of the world,” Lena scoffed and pushed her chair back. Her plate was still filled with two pancakes, her tea was barely touched, but it didn’t look like she was going to eat anymore.</p><p>“Lena,” Kara reached out across the table as her voice tried to soothe the woman’s worries. She held one of Lena’s hands in hers and offered her a reassuring smile. “It’s fine. We know the truth, that’s what matters.”</p><p>“I suppose you’re right.” Even if she said that, Lena didn’t look particularly happy yet, so Kara allowed her to drop her hand and get up, knowing the woman needed some space to digest what was going on.</p><p>She watched with sorrowful eyes as the younger woman started filling up the dishwasher, clearly tense, and decided she needed to do something to distract her from what happened. They went to bed right after dinner the night before, cuddling right in the middle and becoming a tangle of arms and legs as they held each other as close as possible. Kara was too tired to worry about anything else but, after Liam woke up crying in the middle of the night, she started to panic, thinking that something bad was happening to him. In her haste to get to his room, she ended up waking Lena and the poor woman stayed up for hours with her until she was calm enough to go back to bed. The least she could do was distract her the same way Lena had tried to do to her.</p><p>“Hey,” she called out softly. “Do you want to take a walk in the park?”</p><p>Lena sighed, her back still turned at her, and shook her head. “You need to rest, Kara.”</p><p>“I’m already rested,” the hero argued quickly. A second later, she started inhaling her pancakes so she would be done faster, barely giving it time for her tongue to even taste the flavors – which was a shame because she was sure they were delicious. “Besides, I need to spend some time under the sun, remember? We can take Liam for a walk, I get my sun, and we step outside for a while.”</p><p>Lena didn’t look too certain of her plan when she turned around to face Kara but she must have seen the pout in her lips because, after a few seconds, she dropped her shoulders and waved one hand around. “Fine, but don’t eat like that, you will choke.”</p><p>Kara fought the urge to pump her fist in the air in celebration. Instead, she smiled at Lena and slowed down her chewing. “It will be fun.”</p><p>“If you say so,” Lena shrugged. “But you’re going to put clothes on Liam.”</p><p>“On it!”</p><p>Before Lena could protest, Kara was gone. She made a quick run to pick Liam from the floor before she rushed to his bedroom. He was using only his diaper since they had no plans of stepping outside, so Kara was fast to pick up something for him to wear – it was warm, so baby shorts, a dino shirt and a hat that made him look so cute. He fussed a little, unhappy to have to put on some clothes, but he calmed down after Kara gave him her glasses to play with.</p><p>She was already trying to slip some shoes on him when Lena finally joined them. The other woman started walking around collecting items they might need during their quick walk and putting them in the baby bag, and, although she didn’t say anything, her mood already felt a little better. Kara winked at Liam and the baby giggled at her like he could understand what she was trying to say.</p><p>“Hey, LK!” Kara complained when the baby kicked off the shoe she had managed to put on him. The tiny sneakers fell on the ground and he laughed like that was the funniest thing ever. Rolling her eyes, the blonde bent down to grab the shoe all while giving a disapproving look. “Not nice, <em>unah</em>.”</p><p>Liam paused for a second under her glare before he chuckled again and started kicking his legs. Kara rolled her eyes, leaned down to blow raspberries on his belly and giggled when he started laughing again. After that, he seemed to accept his fate, probably because he didn’t want to risk not getting any playtime with his favorite blonde, and Kara was able to put both of his shoes on his small feet.</p><p>“There we go, LK.”</p><p>When she turned around with Liam in her arms, Lena was staring at them with a fond smile and a soft expression that resembled nothing of the rage she was feeling before. And they didn’t even leave yet, Kara almost patted her own back for her good work. She walked straight to Lena and pressed a kiss on her cheek while trying to keep Liam’s hand away from the woman’s hair.</p><p>“See, I’m a pro.”</p><p>Lena huffed. “He gives you no trouble at all because you’re his favorite.”</p><p>Kara gasped in faked shock before she looked at the baby with wide eyes. “Am I your favorite, LK?” The baby stared back at her for a few seconds, clearly confused, before he opened his arms and threw himself into Lena, who barely had time to catch him. “Guess not,” Kara chuckled as she eased him in the shorter woman’s arms. “I can’t compete with his mommy, I suppose.”</p><p>Although her eyes were shining with love and adoration, Lena still managed to look a little smug, much to Kara’s delight. “I’m the main source of his food after all.”</p><p>Kara hummed in agreement as she leaned to kiss his head and then Lena’s lips. “Come on! We’re losing time. It’s a beautiful day!”</p><p>They were halfway to the park when Lena spoke again. She had on big sunglasses to block the sun from her eyes and she was wearing casual clothes – or her usual casual clothes, which meant they were as expensive as Kara’s apartment. Lena was just carrying the baby bag since Kara insisted she pushed the stroller, even if she had to stuff her pockets with her phone and wallet so she could have both hands free to do it.</p><p>“What did you called him before?”</p><p>“Hm?”</p><p>“Before, when you were changing him, you used a word I never heard before,” Lena explained with a shrug. “I was just wondering if it’s a new nickname.”</p><p>“Oh,” Kara paused to think back at the things she had said that day until she recollected the moment Lena was talking about. “That’s a Kryptonian word.”</p><p>Lena glanced at her from the corner of her eyes for a second. “What does that mean?”</p><p>The blonde raised her eyes to the sky as she tried to find a fitting translation before she nodded to herself. “Something along the lines of 'son', although it’s more accurate to use it as 'child' or 'firstborn'.”</p><p>Lena nodded along with her explanation. “How do you say that again?”</p><p>
  <em>“Unah.”</em>
</p><p><em>“Unah,”</em> the woman tried, and Kara had to bit the inside of her cheek not to laugh.</p><p>“You so have an accent,” she teased.</p><p>The brunette gasped and turned her head to glare at Kara through her sunglasses. She playfully shoved Kara away while shaking her head. “I don’t know why I put up with you.”</p><p>Kara, laughing happily, took one hand off the stroller so she could wrap one arm around the shorter woman’s shoulders and pull her closer. She planted a kiss on the side of her head and squeezed her against her side, much to Lena’s annoyance. “You sounded very cute.”</p><p>“Let me go.”</p><p>The hero refused to entertain Lena again when she tried to shove her away, choosing to stay close as they walked to cross the street. The brunette huffed when the taller woman didn’t move an inch despite her best efforts and crossed her arms, although she made no move to step away from her either.</p><p>“You just have to try again,” Kara nudged gently.</p><p>Lena hesitated and they were already on the other side of the street when she relented. <em>“Unah.”</em></p><p>“That’s it! See, I knew you could do it.”</p><p>As a reward for her effort, Kara gave her another kiss on top of her head. They walked another block in silence before Lena sighed contently under Kara’s arm. “What’s the word for... mom?”</p><p>Kara didn’t need to think about that one. “<em>Ieiu.</em>”</p><p>“<em>Ieiu,</em>” Lena tried, albeit she made it sound a bit French.</p><p>The Kryptonian shook her head gently. “Like there’s an ‘y’. <em>Ieiu.</em>” Lena looked determined when she said it again and, this time, she nailed it. Kara chuckled a little as she squeezed the woman’s shoulder. “You, <em>zhao</em>, are a fast learner.”</p><p>Proud and happy with the praise, the younger woman turned her head to kiss Kara’s cheek. They were in the same height since Lena was using some ridiculously high heels, so there was no trouble doing that. “What does that word mean?”</p><p>“We have a few words for love, which is a little ironic,” Kara explained. “But that would be the romantic type of love.”</p><p>Lena hummed, evidently pleased, and decided to try the word. “<em>Zhao.</em>”</p><p>“I’m impressed, that was on the first try,” the blonde praised her again.</p><p>They had finally reached the park and were fast to fall into a slow walk on the sidewalk. The park was still a little empty, it was a Thursday and it was still very early in the morning. The only people around were some joggers and a very low number of kids running around, so they had enough space to walk side by side with the stroller being pushed in front of them with no worries.</p><p>“What other words for love did you have?”</p><p>“Hm,” Kara glanced at Liam and smiled. “<em>Ukiem</em>. That’s familial love.” Lena tried to say the word and, even if she had to try it twice again, Kara was still impressed. “Okay, now I will give you a hard one.”</p><p>“Those were already pretty hard,” Lena scoffed.</p><p>Kara laughed, throwing her head back, before she stopped walking. Lena stopped too and looked at her with her eyebrows raised. “<em>Zhrythrevium</em>.”</p><p>“That’s not a word, that’s a curse.”</p><p>Laughing loudly at Lena’s confusion, Kara nudged her closer to give her a peck. “That’s the closest word we had for family. It actually means family member, someone who belongs to a house. I was a part of the House of El, for example.”</p><p>“There’s no way I will ever be able to say that,” Lena shook her head adamantly.</p><p>“You didn’t even try.”</p><p>“Kara, I know five different languages and I never heard something so hard to pronounce. I don’t think my tongue can move like that.”</p><p>Okay. That last phrase put some ideas inside Kara’s head that she really didn’t think were proper to have. A heat raised her lower stomach, coloring her neck, cheeks and even the tips of her ears, and there was no way she could hide her reaction. Lena realized the pink coloring and immediately understood where her mind had gone to, turning her grimace into a sinful smirk that just yelled ‘you’re in trouble’ and made Kara gulp.</p><p>The short woman opened her mouth, probably to tease her about it, but Kara was faster, nearly shouting the first thing that came into her mind. “<em>Zhrymin</em>!”</p><p>Surprised by her outburst and confused about what it meant, Lena frowned and Kara almost sighed in relief to see she had appealed to Lena’s nerd side to get herself out of the inevitable comment that would make her want to dig a hole for herself. “What is that?”</p><p>Although she didn’t think it through because now she had to explain what that meant. Which didn’t make things much better for her. “Uh,” Kara raised one hand to push her glasses back up, the seam of the t-shirt Lena had loaned her tightening around her shoulders with the movement. “That would be... Well, it means spouse. We had no word for girlfriend or partner, since those concepts didn’t exist in Krypton, so I suppose it could be used in the same context.”</p><p>“Spouse, huh?” Lena didn’t sound half as teasing as Kara imagined she would get and, when she looked at her again, the woman just seemed... content. “How do you say that again?”</p><p>Swallowing a bit harder than the situation demanded, Kara repeated the word, “<em>Zhrymin</em>.”</p><p>“<em>Zhrymin.</em>”</p><p>She gulped again, mostly because Lena looked so determined to get the word right that it made her interior melt a bit. “Something like that,” she whispered back.</p><p>The brunette smiled brightly at her and she was about to lean in for a kiss from the looks of it when Liam decided he was impatient with just standing in the middle of the sidewalk. Kara took a step closer to the stroller to give him an apologetic grin before she started walking again.</p><p>“My bad, kiddo.”</p><p>They walked in silence for another minute before Lena curled one arm around Kara’s waist, resting her chin on her shoulder and letting her other hand lay beside it. “We can teach him, you know.”</p><p>“Teach him what?”</p><p>“Kryptonian,” Lena explained and then continued to talk unaware of the way Kara’s eyes burned with tears. “I don’t know how many people speak it still and it’s a dead language, but we could teach him. I mean, I learned Latin, so I don’t see why not.”</p><p>“You serious?”</p><p>“Of course! I would love to learn as well, if you’re willing to teach me.” Lena must have realized how Kara was biting her bottom lip hard and how her shoulders tensed because she quickly backed away from her idea and from Kara, adding some space between them. “I mean, if you want to! I’m not saying you have to do it. I understand that it might be hard to use the language from your planet, so I’m sorry if...”</p><p>“No, no,” Kara quickly interrupted her, reaching out with one hand to pull Lena close again. The brunette hesitated before curling by her side again. “I would love to.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Lena apparently had no idea what else to say, still a little awkward after pushing her luck like that, so they fell in another comfortable silence for a while. They walked until they reached a spot close to the pond that was near the place they had their picnic. Kara took Liam from his stroller to hold him in her arms so he could look at the water too and Lena sneaked a picture of them before joining her side.</p><p>“You know, I’m the reason these ducks are here,” Kara commented after a minute or so.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“There was a factory in the nearby city that caught fire a couple of years ago. It was really close to a small lake that not many people know about and the detritus were getting in the water. I was rounding the area to make sure the trees wouldn’t burn when I saw the ducks running away from the lake, so I grabbed them and brought them here.”</p><p>Lena had a small smile despite the fact that she was rolling her eyes. “Of course you would do something like that.”</p><p>“Hey,” Kara complained. “They lost their home!”</p><p>Lena leaned over to kiss her cheek and appease her mood. “Well, they look happy here, so I’m glad they found another home.”</p><p>Kara didn’t reply for a while. They just stood there and watched as a dog came running from nowhere and started chasing the ducks. It didn’t look like he was going to harm them, more like he was just playing with the birds, and it was a little funny to watch the animal running with his tail in the air barking at the ducks. Kara waited until the dog ended up falling in the pond after failing to stop a particularly fast run before speaking again.</p><p>“I’m glad too.”</p><p>Lena must have sensed she wasn’t talking about the ducks because she immediately reached a hand to squeeze Kara’s arm. The blonde turned her head to look at her with a watery smile and soft eyes, which Lena returned with the same amount of love. The moment was broken when Liam gurgled rather loudly against Kara’s ear.</p><p>She winced a little at the volume as she looked down at him. “Take care with the alien ears, boy.”</p><p>He didn’t look disturbed though. In fact, he giggled again, even louder than before, and started clapping his small hands. Lena chuckled at her son's antics and moved to take him from the blonde’s arms so she could hold him for a while.</p><p>“Come on, let’s go back home.”</p><p>Lena made her rest for the entire day after that, which drove Kara a little insane. She was feeling okay, her powers were back, and, except for the scratch on her arm, there was nothing wrong with her anymore. Even so, Lena made her go spend some time outside on the balcony under the sun like she was at a damn beach. Later, when she tried to make herself a sandwich, Lena shooed her from the kitchen and made her sit on the couch and wait. By dinner time, Kara was ready to call Alex and actually ask to be rescued – although she was sure her sister would agree with Lena’s rules.</p><p>She did call Alex at some point to ask her about Lex again.</p><p>
  <em>“We got a tip that he was trying to escape to a city nearby. Clark went after him but he escaped again.”</em>
</p><p>“How could he escape like that, Alex? Kal is Superman!” Kara was whispering on the phone, making sure that Lena was still busy washing the dishes, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t get angry.</p><p>
  <em>“I told you before. We asked Kal to take care, to not attack without back-up. By the time Maggie got there with the rest of the team, Lex was gone.”</em>
</p><p>Kara sighed, ran a hand through her hair, and resisted the urge to stomp her feet like a child. “What about Lillian?”</p><p>
  <em>“We have no idea where she might be. She wasn’t with Lex as far as Clark knew and we can’t find her anywhere.”</em>
</p><p>“Maybe I should-“</p><p><em>“No, absolutely not,”</em> Alex interrupted her vehemently.</p><p>The blonde rolled her eyes. “Look, if Kal and I go together, then we-“</p><p>
  <em>“Kara, I don’t want you anywhere near them again, do you hear me?”</em>
</p><p>“It’s too dangerous for Kal to go alone and I won’t rest until we arrest them, so the best option would be for me to join the searches,” she argued.</p><p>To no avail, because Alex scoffed and quickly dismissed the idea. “<em>I don’t trust you to go anywhere near them. You’re angry and you’re looking for revenge, those things never mix well together. You will end up doing something stupid.”</em></p><p>“Alex, what they did to them-“</p><p><em>“Was awful and cowardly, I know,”</em> Alex sighed on the other side of the line. “<em>But we have it handled, okay? You stay with them, rest and make sure you recover. If that makes you feel better, pretend you’re doing bodyguard duty or something.”</em></p><p>Kara scratched the back of her neck, still not pleased by the conversation, but she ended up nodding. “Promise me you will call if you get another lead, though. I can help.”</p><p><em>“I promise to call you </em>if<em> we end up needing you,” </em>her sister smartly imposed the condition. <em>“Until then, you stay and rest.”</em></p><p>They hang up shortly after and, by the time Kara walked back to the kitchen, Lena was already turning off the lights. She reached out for the blonde’s hand and started pulling her to the bedroom, making a quick stop to peek inside Liam’s room to make sure he was okay. Kara watched him for a few more seconds, letting go of the younger woman’s hand so she could stay and not get tugged away. She watched his chest rise and fall, closed her eyes to hear his heartbeat more clearly and then took a deep breath.</p><p>“Can’t he sleep in your room tonight?”</p><p>“Kara, he didn’t sleep in the same room as me even when he was a newborn,” Lena replied from somewhere inside her bedroom and Kara didn’t need her x-ray vision to know she was searching for her pajamas to change to bed.</p><p>The blonde sighed, glanced one last time at the baby, and then pushed herself away to start walking again. She wouldn’t argue with Lena, but every step she took was like a stab in her heart. Liam would be too far away if something happened in the middle of the night and she would feel much safer if she could carry his crib to stay beside Lena’s bed. She wouldn’t even wake him up!</p><p>Lena was walking to the bathroom when she entered the room, so Kara used her super speed to quickly change from Lena’s hoodie to the borrowed pajamas she was wearing until Alex brought some of her clothes for her, then she slipped into the bed, resting her back against the headboard. She kept fidgeting with her fingers as she waited, going as far as reaching out for the baby monitor to turn the volume to the max, even if her own hearing was a thousand times better than the small device.</p><p>When Lena walked back into the room, she was wearing some ridiculously short pajama shorts that left very, very little for the imagination. In contrast to that, she had a baggy t-shirt on from some band Kara never heard about. She, somehow, managed to look sexy and cute at the same time, and Kara would never understand how she could pull off such a thing.</p><p>She watched as the brunette put her phone to charge and turned on the lamp on her side, before walking to the switch to turn off the main light. Darkness fell in the room, but Kara’s eyes quickly adjusted to that. She kept looking while Lena walked back to the bed, pulled the covers and sat beside her before pulling a book to read before she went to sleep.</p><p>Kara managed to stay quiet for ten seconds, which was a victory, really. “Hey.” Lena hummed in acknowledgment and the blonde squirmed a little. “Can we, uh, can we change sides?”</p><p>Lena glanced at her with slightly furrowed brows and pursed lips. “What for?”</p><p>“Well,” Kara sighed, not sure how to say what she wanted to say, and raised one hand to fiddle with her glasses. “I just... Want to sleep on the other side.”</p><p>“Yes,” Lena drew out the word as she gave her a weird look. “But why?”</p><p>The hero gave her a look, begging for her to just accept the request and let it go, but she also knew Lena wouldn’t just do it without a very good reason. So, sighing again, she ducked her head so the dim light of the lamp wouldn’t show her blush. “That’s the door side.”</p><p>“I’m aware.”</p><p>“Lena,” she groaned in a pleading tone.</p><p>The brunette inhaled deeply as she closed her book, marking it with her index finger. “Why do you need to sleep on this side of the bed?”</p><p>“Because... Well, because, if something happens, I will be closer to the door,” Kara finally explained. “I can get out sooner and I will also be between you and... whatever comes.”</p><p>That made Lena’s body melt completely. She put her book down and almost threw herself over to pull Kara into a hug. The hero wasn’t going to complain about getting a hug out from Lena, although the position was a little weird and made her back ache.</p><p>“Kara, you don’t have to worry. No one is coming here, okay?”</p><p>“Lex did and he’s still out there,” she whispered miserably against Lena’s chest, where the woman had pressed her cheek against. Again, not going to complain.</p><p>“Fuck my brother,” Lena scoffed. “He won’t get to us again. You don’t have to sleep with your eyes open.”</p><p>Kara paused for a second. “I don’t think I can sleep with my eyes open.”</p><p>“You say those things just to annoy me, don’t you?”</p><p>“That depends. Will you let me change sides?”</p><p>Lena sighed and, although she hesitated for a bit, she ended up nodding. “You can sleep here, yes. But only for tonight! This is my side of the bed.”</p><p>“Considering this is your bed, I would imagine that you don’t have a side,” Kara teased as she happily jumped over Lena to squeeze herself between the woman and the edge of the bed.</p><p>Lena barely had time to move to give her more space, but she wiggled to the other side between huffs and eye rolls. “Happy?”</p><p>“Much,” the hero replied, then she raised herself on her elbow to press a wet kiss on Lena’s cheek. “Thank you.”</p><p>“I will find a way you can thank me, don’t worry,” Lena gave her a look, before something else gleamed in her green eyes and she looked overly excited all of a sudden. “Guess what I did while you took your two days vacation.”</p><p>“If you say prayed, I will be really surprised.”</p><p>The younger woman rolled her eyes at the teasing, shoving her legs away and opening her book again. “I’m not going to tell you anymore.”</p><p>Kara chuckled and approached the woman until they were both in the middle of the sunken mattress. “I’m all ears, please, share.”</p><p>“Red sunlamps,” Lena said in a neutral voice. “I studied the sunlamps they put you into and found a way to make them red.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>“Very easy. Well, much easier than building you a new suit, at least. I have someone I trust going through my files to build it, but it will be ready to be installed in a day or two.” Lena paused to glance at her with a smirk. “In case you’re asking, Brainy is the one doing them. He agreed to help after I said I would let him try to hack my computer one day. Just for fun.”</p><p>Kara had no idea what she should do with that information, so she remained in silence for a while, trying to ignore how hot her cheeks felt, her blue eyes glued at the thin blanket draped on their legs. Finally, after throwing the words around her brain for a while, she sighed.</p><p>“I don’t think I’m ready yet, Lena.”</p><p>The woman apparently realized where Kara’s mind went because her eyes widened and she dropped her book again in order to look at her. “Oh, no! I didn’t mean we have to, you know, now! I just wanted to share the good news. You know, one thing checked from my to-do list and all.”</p><p>Kara offered her a smile when she noticed how nervous Lena sounded, then she slipped her hand under the blanket to find a path of smooth, soft skin where Lena’s shirt raised a little bit. She ran her thumb over the skin in small circles and gladly watched as the other woman relaxed under her touch.</p><p>“I don’t think I can forego my powers right now,” she explained quietly. “I just got them back and, after everything that happened, I don’t think I can allow myself to go weak again. I need to be at my best in case something happens.”</p><p>Lena moved a little so she could wrap one arm around Kara’s shoulders and pull her to rest her head against her collarbone. Once she had Kara where she wanted, she bent her head to press a kiss on top of the blonde’s hair. “I told you to stop worrying about that. Nothing will happen. Also, the red lamps will just dull your power and I made sure to add a switch on it so we can quickly turn it off. As soon as the light is gone, your powers will be back. I would never do anything that could hurt you in any way, Kara.”</p><p>“I know,” Kara sighed deeply. “But I will be without my superhearing as well. If anything happens, I won’t know until it’s too late. I do trust you, Lena, but I don’t think I can do it right now.”</p><p>“We don’t have to,” Lena soothed her with a soft, gentle voice. “I didn’t say it to make it sound like I... was expecting something to happen. I just wanted to share the news.”</p><p>“I know,” Kara looked up to offer her a bright smile after pressing a quick kiss on her neck. “You’re brilliant, did you know that?”</p><p>Blushing a little, the younger woman fought a smile. “It’s always good to hear it, I guess.”</p><p>“Well, you’re a genius and I love you, even when you’re being a little nerdy.”</p><p>“I love you even when you’re being a weirdo, so we’re even.”</p><p>Kara went to sleep with a good sensation spread all over her body and she had to check twice to make sure she wasn’t floating again. However, she was suddenly awakened when a dread feeling took over her. She was having a nightmare where Lex managed to invade Lena’s apartment through the balcony door and he was running towards Liam with his hands in front of his body like claws when Kara suddenly woke up in a gasp.</p><p>Without missing a beat, she kicked her legs off the bed, almost tripping over the covers in her haste to get out, and almost ripping the door out of the frame when she pulled it open. She was a little thankful that they didn’t have the time to fix the door to Liam’s bedroom yet because she stormed inside so fast that she was just a blur. Liam was peacefully sleeping in his crib, one hand under his cheek and the other arm raised on top of his head in a weird angle that made him look a little funny.</p><p>Kara breathed out in sheer relief when her eyes landed on him, but she still made sure to scan the room real quick with her eyes just to be sure there was no one there. Forcing herself to take deep breaths and calm down, Kara placed a hand against her chest as though she was trying to ease her heartbeats with the touch, then she closed her eyes and ducked her head. For the next two minutes, she just listened.</p><p>Liam’s heartbeat was low as it usually was, his heart too small to make a loud noise in the quietness. Around town, she could listen to cars, ambulances, sirens, dogs barking, people talking, music somewhere. Inside the apartment, only calmness. She sighed when she heard Lena’s heartbeat approaching her, but she didn’t move. There was no point in pretending.</p><p>Lena paused by the door and, even without looking at her, Kara could picture the woman leaning against the door frame, her intense green eyes studying her in the darkness. There was no light inside the room, not even the moonlight since the blinds were closed all the way, but Kara had heard her turning on a switch on her way there, so they were probably being bathed by the faint light of the corridor lamp. For a second, Kara’s mind traveled back to the first time Lena found her inside her son’s room and a chilling feeling rushed down her spine.</p><p>At last, she sighed again and raised her head, dropped her hand back to her waist and opened her eyes. Liam was still sleeping, the penthouse was still silent, and there was nothing wrong. She wasn’t feeling brave enough to turn around and face Lena just yet, so she took a step closer to the crib and leaned against it with her forearms, resting her chin on top of her arms so she could watch him for a while.</p><p>Kara had no idea how long they stayed there in complete silence before Lena entered the room to put a hand between her shoulder blades. “Come back to bed, darling,” she whispered.</p><p>The blonde felt a lump climbing inside her throat like the claws she had dreamed about. She gulped and tightened her grip on the crib for a brief second before she spoke, “I will be there in a minute.”</p><p>“Darling, he’s okay. It’s fine,” Lena sank down by her side so she could wrap her arms around her from behind in a weird hug because of the position she was in. The shorter woman rested a cheek in her back after pressing a soft kiss there. “Do you want to bring him with us?”</p><p>Initially, Kara was going to refuse it. She managed to sleep a night with Liam in his own room, so it shouldn’t be such a big deal. It was, however. “There’s no door.” It was a weak excuse and they both knew it. If there was a door, it wouldn’t be locked, there would be no password and it wouldn’t be made of steel. But Kara couldn’t exactly say she was scared when she was supposed to be the strongest of them.</p><p>Lena, on the other hand, seemed to understand the turmoil going on inside her head, because she nodded and kissed a soft spot on her neck as she pulled away. “Okay, take him. He can sleep in the bed with us.”</p><p>And that’s how they slept, indeed. Liam between them, sound asleep, Lena resting her head on top of her right arm while her left hand was holding her son securely against herself, and Kara with both of her arms holding them like they were precious cargo.</p><p>She helped Lena with breakfast the next morning, following the instructions on how to cut some fruits in silence while Lena did some waffles. Liam was sitting on his high chair playing with his teddy bears and the only thing breaking the silence was when he occasionally gurgled or yelled. They ate while Lena fed him some mashed bananas and then Kara filled the dishwasher while texting Alex to ask her when she would drop off her clothes. She liked wearing Lena’s hoodies, but they were kinda small for her.</p><p>Kara was just putting some cups away when Lena angrily shoved her phone on top of the kitchen counter and growled to herself. The hero turned around to give her a worried look and quickly walked around the counter to pull the woman in a side hug, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.</p><p>“What is it, love?”</p><p>Lena was still clearly mad when she wrapped her arms around the blonde’s waist. “The press.”</p><p>“What about it?”</p><p>“They followed us yesterday,” the woman explained with a sigh.</p><p>Kara felt her own anger rise, leaving a fire behind that she had no idea how to put out. “What?”</p><p>Lena picked up her phone again, scrolling to find the article she had been reading, and then showed a photo of the three of them walking in the park the day before. It was a photo of Lena holding Liam in her lap, with Kara walking beside her with a large smile, and the headline was very suggestive – “Lex Luthor’s sister living a romance with a mysterious woman!”</p><p>The article itself talked little about Lena taking a walk in the park with her son and some unknown woman and more about Lex Luthor’s crimes, his escape from jail and, even more, about the accusations that he had something to do with Supergirl’s downfall from a week before, and how Lena might be involved with that.</p><p>Angry, Kara took the phone from Lena’s hand and hit it against the counter with the screen facing down so she wouldn’t have to look at it any longer, before she drew her in for a tighter hug. Lena hid her face on the crook of Kara’s neck and took a deep breath, and the hero just kept her close and offered silent support.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” she ended up whispering.</p><p>“It’s not your fault.”</p><p>“Well,” Kara started in a more light tone, “to be fair, I’m part of the press.”</p><p>Lena huffed, her hot breath hitting the blonde’s skin and making her shiver a little. “I will be truly concerned if that’s the type of thing you want to write as a journalist.”</p><p>Kara chuckled softly and kissed the top of Lena’s head. “I like to think I have better taste than that.”</p><p>The brunette ended up nodding against her, but refused to part ways – not that Kara would complain about it. “I hate it. That’s one of the reasons why I went to Oxford for my second and third PhD. I just wanted to get away from this shit.”</p><p>“Hey, now,” Kara chimed in. “Liam is learning his first words, you don’t want it to be s-h-i-t.”</p><p>Finally, she got what she was fishing for and Lena huffed a laugh. “Right, I will watch my mouth.”</p><p>“I doubt you can do that,” Kara pulled away and glanced down at the same time Lena looked up to meet her eyes, and the blonde couldn’t help but be impressed with how beautiful the short woman was. “Don’t worry, I can watch your mouth for you.”</p><p>Lena raised one eyebrow and her lips turned into a smirk. “I have no doubts you would enjoy that.”</p><p>“Very,” the hero mumbled distractedly as she was already leaning in for a kiss. It was short and sweet, but they soon pulled away, sharing a fond smile that crinkled their eyes. Kara ended up turning her chin up to kiss the woman’s forehead. “I’m sorry the press is after you again. And I’m sorry they got a hold of Liam, and that they have pictures of him now. If you want, I can ask the DEO to get rid of them.”</p><p>Lena sighed deeply. “It won’t help. They will just keep coming back and taking more pictures. Guess I will have to learn to live with that.”</p><p>“Good thing you’re not alone, then.”</p><p>The younger woman gave her a thankful smile and leaned on her tiptoes to kiss Kara’s cheek, before she pulled away and took a step back to add some space between them. Shortly after, the doorman called to inform them Alex was downstairs, and Lena took Liam back to his room so she could change him to some clothes that didn’t have mashed bananas on them while Kara talked with her sister.</p><p>She returned to the living room, Liam in her arms, when Alex was putting her things away, and Kara offered her a smile. “Guess you will need to accept the scar,” she commented in her best attempt to be nonchalant about it.</p><p>Lena frowned as she approached to take a look at the blonde’s arm. Alex hadn’t put a new bandage on and it was clear why. The wound was completely healed, leaving behind a faint scar about an inch and a half long. Kara was also staring at it and, although she was trying to look like she didn’t care, it was clear that the mark on her immaculate skin was bothering her on some level.</p><p>With a sigh – because she was damn angry with her family – Lena leaned over and pressed a quick kiss against the scar, then she straightened her body to give the woman a peck. “Now it will heal,” was her playful comment and Kara chuckled against her lips. She pulled away and turned to face Alex, her scientist side speaking louder. “Why do you think the scar won’t leave?”</p><p>The redhead shrugged. “If it was going to fade, it already would have. Kara’s powers are totally back, but the scar hadn’t faded, so it more likely will not.”</p><p>“But why? Her eye healed just fine.”</p><p>“I guess it’s because of the kryptonite. The bullet crossed her skin when there was kryptonite in her system. The eye was just a bruise.”</p><p>Lena nodded along with her words before she turned to look at the blonde again. Kara was staring at her expectantly, with wide blue eyes, and she couldn’t help but smile at her. “How did you get this one?” She asked and raised her index finger to poke the skin above Kara’s left eyebrow, where a circular scar was located just behind her glasses.</p><p>Kara had a smile firmly planted on her lips when she jumped from the chair Alex made her sit on – and she wasn’t going to lie and say she didn’t enjoy how she was taller than Lena. “It happened when I was still in Krypton. Wounds I suffered there are much like the wounds any human would suffer on Earth, so it left a mark.”</p><p>“Did you trip and fall?” Lena teased and she heard Alex sneer behind her.</p><p>An offended gasp left the hero’s lips. “I’m not clumsy!”</p><p>“I didn’t say you were, I was just asking.”</p><p>Kara huffed and rolled her eyes. “I was running in my dad’s lab and hit my head on a table.”</p><p>Lena had no trouble picturing a small Kara running around until she hit her head and started crying when it bled. She had no idea what her father looked like, so her mind immediately filled the role with J’onn’s image as the man who helped her back to her feet. Although sad, it was a cute scene to imagine.</p><p>Ignoring Alex’s presence, Lena rose to her tiptoes and kissed the scar above her eyebrow. Sadly for Kara, Liam took advantage of her approach to grab her shirt and tug at it way harder than anyone would expect. The blonde yelped and shot him a glare, albeit it lost all the intention when he giggled at her.</p><p>“Okay,” Alex said, “I will leave now. I have to go back to the DEO. Maggie will be back soon.”</p><p>Kara gave her a funny look and her eyes darted back at Lena for a quick second before she tilted her head. “You and Maggie aren’t...”</p><p>“No, no!” Alex shook her head vehemently, although her cheeks acquired a red shade. “We just need to come up with another plan. We’re not... no.”</p><p>Lena waited until the redhead left before she turned around with one raised eyebrow. “Alex and Detective Sawyer had a thing?”</p><p>Kara scratched the back of her neck and fiddled with her glasses, which was enough to tell how nervous she suddenly become. “A couple of years ago, yes.”</p><p>Lena chuckled and shook her head as she made her way to the living room so she could put Liam on his playmat. “Guess I was too worried about you to notice it before.”</p><p>“Yes, well, it was a long time ago,” Kara shrugged. “They were engaged but things didn’t work out.”</p><p>“Engaged?” Lena asked in clear surprise. “If they were going to get married, they clearly loved each other. What went wrong?”</p><p>“Alex wants to be a mother and Maggie, well, Maggie doesn’t. So, they agreed it would be best if they parted ways.”</p><p>The younger woman nodded and her green eyes distractedly moved back to where Liam was rolling on the floor – he had learned how to roll a few days before when Sam was taking care of him and now that was his favorite activity. Kara watched as her eyes slowly turned softer at the edges while the woman looked at her son and a smile appeared on her face.</p><p>“That was very mature of them,” Lena commented. “Does Alex still want to have kids?”</p><p>“Yes,” Kara nodded and started walking towards them. “She’s been on the adoption waiting list for a year now.”</p><p>Lena smiled at her when Kara set by her side on the floor so she could reach out to grab Liam’s plush elephant to play with him. “Well, if she’s half the parent you are, I think that will be a very lucky kid.” She approached her to place a kiss on Kara’s cheek.</p><p>“You don’t have to pretend to like her right now, you know,” the blonde observed with a light tease on her voice. “You’re allowed to be mad at her for doubting you.”</p><p>“I know,” Lena sighed and shrugged. “But I think you and Sam are already mad enough with her. I will let you two hold that grudge against her.”</p><p>Kara chuckled. “Do you think Sam will forgive her?”</p><p>“Just tell Alex to keep asking for forgiveness. Sam will only start to consider it after the tenth apology or something.”</p><p>“I will let her know.”</p><p>They shared a laugh and quickly got distracted by Liam. They played with him, trying to get him to crawl a few times, but, eventually, Lena got up, saying she needed to look at some paperwork from both of her companies – which made Kara do a stupid joke about dating a magnate just to make Lena roll her eyes at her. The hero got bored shortly after and she ended up invading Lena’s improvised office inside the small library she had to say she was going to go out and buy the hinges to get the door fixed, also saying she would take Liam with her for their daily dose of sunlight.</p><p>She dressed him in a cute baby beret cap and some overalls, before she slipped on the clothes Alex brought her – jeans and a floral button-up. Then she picked a few things Liam might need in the short walk to the store a few blocks away, put him on his stroller, pressed a kiss on top of Lena’s head and left after promising to be back with lunch.</p><p>Kara had never bought hinges in her life before – and she wouldn’t accept the ‘your apartment doesn’t even have doors’ as a joke – so it took her some time to find where they were in the store. Then she spent another ten minutes just staring at them before a shop assistant approached her to offer some help. The assistant, a middle-aged woman, praised her on how cute her son looked and Kara would be a little ashamed to admit that she puffed her chest when she thanked the kind woman.</p><p>After she paid for what she needed to fix the door she ripped, Kara made her way to a nearby restaurant to order an early lunch. Cardboard boxes inside a bag hanging from her left arm, Kara started making her way back to the apartment. She decided to take the longest way so she could walk past the park, but, halfway there, she started to notice a few things.</p><p>Like, how there was a biker who had crossed her way at least three times since she left the restaurant. Or how a man was walking behind her for quite some time. Or the fact that she was sure she saw someone perched on a tree at some point.</p><p>That, added with her already paranoid state, was no good for her emotional state. She gritted her teeth, cursing her silly decision to bring Liam with her, and sped up her pace. If this was another one of Lex’s plans, she would have no problem using her powers right then and there, in public, without her suit. She cursed aloud when she remembered that she wasn’t wearing it even under her clothes, but that hardly mattered. If anyone tried to get them, she wouldn’t hesitate.</p><p>Kara had just stopped to wait for a sign to turn red when she heard someone approaching her from behind. She was ready to turn around for a fight when she heard the sound of a camera going off. She turned around even more surprised and saw a young-looking guy pointing a camera directly to her face.</p><p>“Excuse me, ma’am, are you Lena Luthor’s girlfriend? Do you think she’s involved in her brother’s schemes?”</p><p>Not Lex’s obnoxious plans, supposedly. Just the press. Huffing, Kara put her hand in front of his lenses and lowered the camera kind of harshly. Once she was able to look beyond that, she noticed the small crowd coming up at them. There were about six men, all holding cameras, and they were getting closer, so Kara didn’t waver before spinning around to start walking again.</p><p>She didn’t wait for the sign to go  green before walking away from them, thankful for a small break in the traffic. The guy didn’t have time to follow her since a new wave of cars came from nowhere, and Kara did a double-take to make sure she was well hidden before using her speed to make a sharp turn left and rush away. She didn’t use all of her speed so she wouldn’t disturb Liam, but it was enough to foil the men and their cameras.</p><p>Kara sighed a bit in relief, although she would have to walk around the park now to get back home – or Lena’s apartment, that, admittedly, felt like home. She entered the park through the pond side and, just when she was about to cross the grass to go back to the main street, she saw the same reporters looking for her on the sidewalk, clearly confused with how they had missed her. Kara huffed to herself, cursing every form of media, before she decided it would be better to take a break to let them give up on their mission.</p><p>So, she sat down on the grass and stared at the ducks happily swimming on the pond. Liam had fallen asleep at some point and she let him stay in his stroller and rest. She rolled her eyes for having left her phone at home, which always proved to be a terrible choice, then leaned on her elbows, stretching her legs and throwing her head back to close her eyes and allow the sun rays to calm her down.</p><p>If that was the things Lena had to face, she wasn’t surprised the woman had become so private. Kara could easily get away from the reporters, but Lena didn’t have the same luck. And she had to deal with that her entire life.</p><p>Kara was just about to get up and face the music when she felt something cold touching her arm. She opened her eyes, quite alarmed for not having realized something had approached her, but quickly relaxed when she recognized the dog that was chasing the ducks the day before. It was a stray dog, all white save from a black circle around his left eye and a random spot on his back. He was sniffling her arm, his tail frozen in the air as he tried to decide if she was safe or not.</p><p>“Hey, buddy,” she chanted, not moving. “Are you lost?”</p><p>The dog looked up at her, sniffed her shirt and then started to wag his tail. From her sitting position, he barely reached her chest and she wondered if he was still growing or not. After making sure he wouldn’t get scared, she raised one hand from the ground to scratch his ear and he gladly allowed her to.</p><p>“We’re not taking this dog home.”</p><p>Kara jumped in surprise, barely managing not to yell, and the dog got scared with her move and ran away so fast that even she had a hard time following him with her eyes. The blonde glanced over her shoulder and saw Lena standing behind her, wearing a trench coat that went all the way down to her knees.</p><p>“You have your pajamas underneath it, don’t you?” Kara teased.</p><p>Lena huffed. “I was in a rush to get out, give me a break.”</p><p>The blonde sighed and nodded, although she was a little amused by the fact that Lena would risk being seen with something that wasn’t designed by some expensive brand. Lena walked until she was standing by her side and threw her a pointed look.</p><p>“I won’t sit on the ground.”</p><p>“You can sit on my lap.” Lena rolled her eyes and didn’t move. “How did you find me?”</p><p>Lena hummed as she searched for something inside the big pocket of her trench coat before she pulled out her phone. “There was some news. I put an alert on my family’s name. I knew you would be here.”</p><p>Kara nodded again and allowed her eyes to dart back to the ducks. The white dog had decided to play with them again and he was running circles around the small lake as he tried to find a way to get to them without getting inside the water. She smiled a little at that.</p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p>“Yes,” Kara agreed. “I was just worried they would get more pictures of Liam.”</p><p>Lena tilted her head in contemplation. “I’m afraid you might have fooled them this time, but they won’t rest.”</p><p>“Did they see you?”</p><p>“No, I think they’re already gone. Well, I saw a few lingering around on the sidewalk of my building, but I was expecting that to happen.”</p><p>Kara inhaled sharply. “I wish they would just go away.”</p><p>“Me too.”</p><p>“We can go to my place. I know it’s small and it’s not much, but that’s an idea.”</p><p>Lena sighed. “It’s just a matter of time before they find out who you are and where you live. In fact, I think that they still don’t know a thing because of Cat.”</p><p>“Cat Grant?” The hero asked in shock, turning to look at her again. “My boss, Cat Grant?”</p><p>Lena smiled down at her. “She spoke very highly of you when we had the meeting when I bought her company. You might not believe that, but she does like you. I think she’s threatening everyone who tries to leak any information about you. Sam is also trying to hold it for a while, but they can’t hold the press forever.” Losing all the joy from her features, she sighed again, more sad this time. “Going to your place will only buy us a day or two.”</p><p>Kara finally jumped to her feet, patting her hands down on her jeans to get rid of any dirt, before she wrapped her arms around Lena in a tight hug. The shorter woman melted into her and they just stayed like that for a while.</p><p>“I hate your family,” Kara whispered after a minute or two.</p><p>Lena chuckled against her neck. “You’re too pure to hate anyone.” She pulled away, offering a lovingly smile at the blonde. “That’s one of the things I love about you.” She accepted the peck that Kara gave her with another smile, then she took a step back and winked at her. “Come on, let’s go home before that dog steals our lunch.”</p><p>They walked back with Lena pushing the stroller while Kara stole some of the fries from the lunch bag because she argued she was too hungry to wait until they got home. The press was outside and they had to sneak in, but, as Kara waited for Lena to open the door to her apartment<strike>,</strike> she thought she could deal with them if she had those two people in her life. It was worth it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kara: Can we get a dog?<br/>Lena: No.<br/>Kara: Can we get a duck?<br/>Lena: No.<br/>Kara: Can we get a duck-dog?<br/>Lena: Also no, although I would be impressed if there's one.<br/>Kara: Can I get a kiss?<br/>Lena: Of course!<br/>Kara *After the kiss*: Can we get a dog now?<br/>Lena: You will need to do much more than just kiss me to convince me to get a dog.<br/>Kara: Well, I can think of a few ways...<br/>Alex *sipping her coffee*: I'm right here...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. We Can Escape</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is rated M / E, just to give you some warning hahaha</p><p>Helper, you're sweet as pumpkin pie! : D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kara woke up after another nightmare. This time, Lex was leaning against the door frame in Liam’s room, just watching him. She got up in a rush again, but she made sure not to wake Lena up, and went straight to grab the hinges she had abandoned once they got inside the apartment. Determined to fix the stupid door because she was sure that was the thing keeping her from a good night of sleep, Kara had to find a way to hold the door and screw it back in place.</p><p>She was able to do it without much noise, surprisingly, because she never fixed a door before. She tested the door a couple of times, making sure it wasn’t going to creak or fall, then nodded to herself when she was satisfied with her work. It didn’t make her feel any safer, and she almost took Liam to sleep with them again, before she decided to at least give it a try. At least, there was a door between him and the possible danger that would fall on him in the middle of the night. Perhaps now she would be able to sleep a little better.</p><p>Kara was just walking back to the bedroom when she heard a loud crash. Well, it wouldn’t be heard by anyone else in the apartment because it was clearly happening on the street, but her alien ears were able to catch it and the noise reverberated inside her head like it was happening right by her side. With panic rising from her toes to the last strand of hair, Kara took off before she could think much about it.</p><p>She jumped from the balcony, not even worrying about putting on her suit, and went straight to the source of the noise. She knew it had come from the back of Lena’s building, where an alley separated the fancy building from the neighboring construction, so she didn’t waste any time flying to that direction. Kara was ready for a fight, to stop Lex if needed, to be hit with kryptonite again to stop him. Her feet touched the slightly dampened ground and her eyes started to wander around in search of the danger. She was ready to fight anyone, no matter what. Whether it was Lex or one of his men or even Lillian herself coming back to make her pay for being such a brat, it didn’t matter because she would defeat anyone who...</p><p>“Oh,” Kara breathed in shock when she found the cause of the disturbance.</p><p>A white dog had his head stuffed inside a metal trash can, that he had probably turned over to be able to look for some food. She recognized the small black spot on his back and the way his tail was wagging while he chewed on something.</p><p>“Did you follow us here?” She asked and, for a brief second, she thought he might answer her because he took his head out from the trash to stare at her for a moment before going back to his search for food. “Well, I guess you’re hungry.”</p><p>He kept sniffing around, huffing every once in a while, before he wailed almost like he was heartbroken he couldn’t find anything else to eat. Biting her bottom lip, and trying to measure how mad Lena would be, Kara decided she couldn’t just let him starve like that. She knew what hunger was – 24 years in space aren’t nice for many reasons.</p><p>“Wait here.”</p><p>She flew back up, taking advantage that no one would be able to see her from the back of the building, before she slipped back inside through the balcony. She walked straight to the fridge, where she found some leftovers from dinner – chicken from a Chinese restaurant that Lena saved for later and ended up sleeping without eating all of it. Then, she grabbed a random pot, filled it with water and rushed back outside. The dog looked like he hadn’t moved but, as soon as Kara was back, he ran away to a corner, probably scared by her sudden appearance.</p><p>“Sorry, buddy!” Kara put the carton down and the pot beside it, and then took several steps back so she wouldn’t be hovering above it.</p><p>Even so, the dog didn’t move from the corner he was hiding behind. She sighed, a little sad to notice how scared he was and wondering what type of things he must have been through, before she decided to leave him alone. She also didn’t like eating in front of other people sometimes, it was fine. Kara gave him a small smile, then flew back to the apartment, closed the balcony door and walked back to Lena’s room.</p><p>“Where were you?” Lena sleepily asked when she felt the bed dip, her arm reaching out to wrap around Kara’s waist out of instinct.</p><p>The blonde smiled as she waited for Lena to cuddle against her and get comfortable, then she dropped a kiss on top of the woman’s head and closed her eyes. “I was feeding a dog.”</p><p>Lena was probably already asleep because all she did was hum and mumble, “nice.”</p><p>Kara chuckled to herself and then she also fell asleep.</p><p>The morning after didn’t bring any sort of calmness to them. As soon as Alex stepped inside to check on her, she started complaining about the number of people outside the building. Kara looked through the balcony and saw that some reporters had, indeed, set up camp in front of Lena’s place, and she frowned.</p><p>“Can’t the police remove them?”</p><p>“It’s a public sidewalk,” Lena responded and it was clear by her tone that she was talking from experience. “All they can do is ask them not to disturb anyone.”</p><p>Kara snorted. “Maybe Supergirl will pay them a visit.”</p><p>Lena put a hand against her arm and gave her a pointed look. “I don’t think we need to have Supergirl’s image tainted by the press.”</p><p>The hero rolled her eyes, unpleased, but she relented. When they looked back at Alex, the older woman had a deep frown and she was chewing on her bottom lip. Kara knew that look. Her sister was trying to come up with a solution to the problem and she instantly felt bad because that wasn’t Alex’s problem. It was theirs. And she should be able to handle it herself.</p><p>Alex must have realized the same thing, shockingly, because she dropped her shoulders and sighed. “Well, if it makes you feel better, a stray dog was chasing some of them.”</p><p>Kara bit back a smile, trying not to give away anything. Lena huffed a laugh though, before she suddenly went serious. Her brows furrowed and she slowly turned her head to look at Kara with an expression that was halfway between confusion and understanding, and the blonde tried not to look directly at her.</p><p>“Serves them right,” Kara quickly exclaimed to avert the question she could hear coming.</p><p>Alex also gave her a funny look, but she dropped the subject in order to check Kara’s wound again. The scar hadn’t changed since the day before, so they both agreed it probably wouldn’t fade, as they initially suspected. After a quick update on the Luthor situation – no sign of Lillian and they missed Lex again – Alex declared she was one call away in case they needed anything and then she left. Kara almost felt bad that her sister wouldn’t be back the next day because, as much as she was still a bit angry at her, Alex was still her sister and she loved her.</p><p>Once they were alone, Lena crossed her arms and raised one eyebrow at her. “I said we wouldn’t bring the dog home.”</p><p>“But I didn’t!” Kara quickly jumped to defend herself, waving her hands around.</p><p>“So, why is there a dog outside?”</p><p>“I think he followed us!” The hero pouted. “I didn’t do anything!”</p><p>“Kara Zor-El...”</p><p>It was a warning, she heard it in her voice clear as day, and she knew she had only one chance to clear her side. “I swear I didn’t bring him here. But... I did hear him outside last night and gave him some food.”</p><p>Lena let out an exasperated huff. “Kara!”</p><p>“He was hungry,” Kara argued, still desperate to prove her point. “I couldn’t let him starve! He has no home!”</p><p>Lena shook her head. “What were you even doing up?”</p><p>“I was-“ Kara ducked her head and fiddled with her glasses for a while, then she shrugged. “Well, I was fixing Liam’s door.”</p><p>“In the middle of the night?” Kara just nodded, and then she heard Lena sighing. “Did you have a bad dream?” All she did was shrug. “Kara.”</p><p>“Hey, it’s fine,” the blonde said, taking a step back. “I got the door fixed, I fed a dog and nothing else. So, it’s fine.”</p><p>Lena didn’t say anything for a while, the pause being too long for Kara to bear as she started squirming on her feet, before she sighed again and approached the hero to hug her. Kara would never get tired of having Lena’s head tucked under her chin, or the feeling of the shorter woman’s arms around her waist, or the warmth that she exuded, but she would enjoy that every damn time.</p><p>“You should call Animal Control or the dogcatchers.”</p><p>“He’s being a nice boy chasing the reporters away, though.”</p><p>Lena snorted. “One of them will end up hurting him if he keeps doing that. Or call one of those cruel kennels who abuse the animals. You should do some research and call someone to take care of him.” Kara hesitated and it was clear how much Lena knew her. “We’re not keeping him.”</p><p>Despite the fact that Lena couldn’t see her, Kara pouted all the same. “But we need a guard dog now!”</p><p>She leaned away so she could flash her pout at Lena, making sure to blink her eyes in the most innocent way she could. Lena just shook her head vehemently. “You can pout all you want, Kara. We’re <em>not</em> adopting a dog. Liam is too small, okay?”</p><p>“Are you saying we can get a dog when he’s bigger?”</p><p>“No!” Lena pushed her away and threw her a glare. “No dogs.”</p><p>“Are you a cat person?” Kara asked while tilting her head to the side in a teasing manner.</p><p>“I’m a no animal person,” the brunette huffed and rolled her eyes. “We’re not getting a dog, or a cat, or a bird, or even a fish.”</p><p>Kara had to accept her defeat, although she sighed sadly as she did so. She needed to take into consideration that it was Lena’s apartment, not hers, and that she didn’t have enough room for a dog in her own place, nor the time to take care of one while she divided her attention between her work as a new reporter, her work as Supergirl, being Lena’s girlfriend and being Liam’s second parent.</p><p>“Fine.”</p><p>Lena narrowed her eyes. “Are you pouting again?”</p><p>Kara shrugged. “I just don’t want him to be without a home, you know? It sucks.”</p><p>The younger woman rolled her eyes, although she had a grin planted across her face, and wrapped her arms around Kara’s neck. She pulled her close, keeping enough distance so she could look at the blonde’s eyes, and beamed when Kara’s hands lowered to rest on her hips.</p><p>“Do you know who you can call?”</p><p>And that’s how she ended up chasing a dog with Alex half an hour later. Her sister kept cursing her while they tried to corner the poor dog to grab him without scaring him too much, spitting random phrases such as “I shouldn’t have answered my phone”, and “I don’t even have a car, how will I take him?”, and “I’m not the fucking Animal Control!”, and also “He’s not even nice to look at!”. To which Kara replied with “It could have been an emergency!”, and “Don’t you have legs? You can walk”, and “But you always wanted a dog!”, and “Don’t be mean, he just needs a bath”.</p><p>When she walked back to Lena’s apartment, looking as dirty as if she had rolled on the ground for five minutes, the woman had a small and pleased smile. “You know, I think that was good revenge against Alex.”</p><p>“You gave her a dog,” Kara snorted. “I wouldn’t call that revenge.”</p><p>Lena shrugged. “I see it as one. Now, go take a shower.”</p><p>When Kara left the shower, she could hear that the crowd of reporters outside had only increased now that the ‘crazy dog’ was gone. She sighed as she made her way back to the living room, where Lena was reading something on her tablet while sitting on the couch. Liam was happily throwing things around on his playmat, giggling every once in a while when something did a funny noise, and Kara walked to the stereo located at the corner to put on some music, before she threw herself beside Lena on the couch. She was lying down with her head close to Lena’s legs, but not touching her, as she looked at the ceiling.</p><p>“What is the problem? You have a crinkle.”</p><p>Lena glared down at her. “I don’t have a crinkle.”</p><p>“You do.” To prove her point, Kara raised her index finger to touch said crinkle right between the woman’s brows, just above her nose.</p><p>The brunette snorted and pushed her hand away, then picked up the tablet again and returned to her reading. Kara allowed her a moment in silence since she had noticed Lena was still trying to make sense of what she was reading. Finally, after a minute or two, Lena sighed and put her tablet away. “The press is writing stories.”</p><p>“About you?”</p><p>“About me, about us, about Liam,” the younger woman shook her head sadly. “Everything I was trying to avoid.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, love.” Kara raised one arm so she could run the back of her hand against Lena’s soft cheek.</p><p>“It’s not your fault, darling,” Lena sighed. She held Kara’s hand between hers and pressed a kiss on her palm before lowering it to her lap. “I wish I could grab my things and flee town for a while. That’s what I used to do when the press started to invade my personal life and get on my nerves.” She glanced down at Liam and grinned slightly. “Guess it’s a little harder with a baby.”</p><p>“Where did you used to go?”</p><p>“Oxford, for a while, as you already know,” the brunette commented. “But I have a small property in Ireland that became sort of my safe place over the years.”</p><p>Kara nodded and allowed Lena to fiddle with her fingers without a second glance. “Where in Ireland?”</p><p>“Galway,” Lena sighed contently, a carefree smile curling her lips and a glow surging behind her green eyes. It was clear she was thinking about some memories, good ones indeed. “My mother was from a small city named Ennis and, as far as I know, I was born in Galway. It seemed right to escape there when I needed it.”</p><p>The blonde offered her a bright smile in return. “Sounds awesome.”</p><p>“It is,” Lena agreed promptly. “The property is quite isolated, but it’s still close to the shore. Ennis is just a few hours away and it’s a very charming city. The Salthill Beaches are just fifty minutes away. It’s quiet, no one knows where I am, and no one there cares who I am. It’s very therapeutic.”</p><p>Kara let the silence fell over them for a couple of minutes. Her ears still caught the dozens of reporters outside, waiting for one of them to step out, and she felt bad for considering putting on her suit and sending everyone away. Even so, she knew none of them would give Lena a break any time soon. Probably not until Lex was arrested and, even then, they would still want to get declarations out of her. Rao knows how long it would take for Lena to get rid of them again.</p><p>“You should go,” Kara spitted suddenly.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“To Galway. You should go,” the blonde explained with a smile. “I don’t want to be negative here, but I don’t think the people outside will leave in the near future, and you deserve a break. Besides, it could be a good idea to take Liam away from this mess too.”</p><p>Also, if they were across the sea, Kara would be less worried about Lex getting to any of them. That was a bonus, for sure.</p><p>“Kara, I can’t just pack and go,” Lena argued with a sigh. “I have Liam, and my companies, and-”</p><p>Kara quickly sat up on the couch, feeling a wave of excitement that came with having a good idea, and tugged her legs beneath her to look at the other woman. “Take Liam with you. He’s big enough for a flight. And Sam is taking care of everything, isn’t she?”</p><p>The brunette shook her head. “I can’t possibly just-“</p><p>“You can!” Kara chuckled. “Just buy the tickets and enjoy your break.”</p><p>Lena hesitated briefly. “I have a private jet,” she mumbled.</p><p>Kara tried to hide her shock by clapping her hands like she was cheering Lena up. “That’s it! You grab your fancy-ass jet, you grab your son, you call your friend to drop your work on her back, and then you enjoy some time away from all of this madness. Once you’re back, things will be better. At the very least, they won’t be so determined to snap a photo.”</p><p>Lena just stared at her for a while, biting her bottom lip, and Kara could see she was considering the idea, tossing it from side to side. In the end, the brunette started fiddling with her fingers. “This is very irresponsible of me.”</p><p>“It’s not irresponsible to take care of ourselves.”</p><p>Lena raised one eyebrow but didn’t comment on the poor fortune cookie message. She remained in silence for quite some time, just studying Kara’s features, and the blonde almost felt self-conscious with the intensity she was being stared with. What seemed like hours, but it was probably just a minute or two, stretched until forever until Lena spoke again.</p><p>“Only if you come with me.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Lena nodded. “I will go if you go with me.”</p><p>“Lena, I can’t drop my work like that. I’m already lucky that Cat didn’t find a way to fire me after spending all week away.”</p><p>“You forget that I’m your boss now,” the younger woman winked and watched as a blush rose on Kara’s cheeks. “I will ask Sam to find some excuse to give you another week off.”</p><p>“Lena...” the blonde chanted dangerously low. “I can’t leave town. What about Supergirl?”</p><p>“Your cousin is here, isn’t he? He can take care of things for a while.” After a pause, Lena quirked both eyebrows. “Unless he’s not capable enough to watch the city while you take a small vacation.”</p><p>Well, Lena had beaten down every argument she came up with. And she was left tempted, in fact. “I think Kal can handle things.”</p><p>“Perfect. I will get Sam to cover for you at CatCo, your cousin will cover you at the Super job, and I want you to come with me. What do you say?”</p><p>A week away with her favorite people in the entire world? Very tempting, indeed. “Well...” the blonde sighed. “Only if there will be no problem for anyone.”</p><p>“Of course, it won’t be,” Lena flashed her a blinding smile and, damn, if that smile isn’t the most beautiful thing Kara ever saw. “I would love to have a little romantic getaway with you.”</p><p>Kara felt her face flush with a blush but still made sure to say her comeback, “Wait, wait. You’re asking me to go as... your <em>girlfriend</em>?” She whispered the last word like it was a secret, leaning over a little so her face was very close to Lena’s.</p><p>The younger woman rolled her eyes and shoved her away. “One of these days, you will annoy me so much, that I will come up with a plan to send you off of the planet.”</p><p>“You love it, though,” Kara replied with a goofy smile as she stretched her body to the max to press a kiss on Lena’s cheek.</p><p>After that, they decided they should get their planning started. Lena called to get her private jet ready to leave first thing in the morning, then she started packing Liam’s clothes, his toys and all the things he might need. Kara quickly found out that traveling with a baby demanded a lot more planning than she initially thought, but that was okay, they would manage. While Lena packed her own clothes, Kara called Alex to let her know they would be out of town for the next week. Alex remained silent long enough for Kara to know she wanted to say something about it, but her sister only wished her a nice trip and reiterated that she was only one call away.</p><p>Whatever had happened with her sister to get her out of her business certainly did the trick.</p><p>Then, Kara gave Kal a quick call, just to let him know he would be the only one around but that all he had to do was call and she would be back in a flash. And she meant it. Especially if it was because of the two Luthors on the run. By the time she was done with the calls, Lena had a late lunch ready for both of them, and Kara had no shame in admitting that she ended up sleeping on the floor with Liam on top of her after that because she was tired after a few bad nights of sleep in a row.</p><p>She woke up with a pillow under her head and with Liam tugging at her hair, which was probably what ended up pulling her from her dream. She also had a white puppy plush under her arm as though she had been hugging it, but that was a small detail. Lena, who had kept herself occupied by getting things ready for their trip, helped her to ease Liam back to the floor and to jump to her feet, although she groaned when her bones cracked.</p><p>“I have a very comfortable bed and a very large couch, but you slept on the floor,” Lena chastised with a frown.</p><p>However, Kara wasn’t exactly bothered by it. As she slipped her glasses back on, she offered the shorter woman a smile. “Wasn’t planning on sleeping.”</p><p>Lena huffed. “You need to go pack your clothes. Make sure you grab something warm to wear.”</p><p>“I don’t feel cold.”</p><p>“Well, pack them for me then.”</p><p>Kara chuckled and kissed her head, before slipping away. “I will be back for dinner.”</p><p>It wasn’t until she saw Lena leaving the bathroom later that night, after they put Liam to sleep and went through their nightly routine, that Kara realized how excited she was. She hadn’t noticed how badly she wished for some alone time for them until it was presented to her and, Rao, she couldn’t wait to get away for a whole week. No work, no super-emergency, no press. Just them in a foreign country, left to enjoy their time together.</p><p>“What are you smiling about?” Lena asked as she walked out from her walk-in closet. She had slipped on a pair of silk shorts and a sleeveless, loose-fitting nightgown, all black, and Kara felt the playfulness she was feeling get the best of her.</p><p>Kara wiggled down on the bed until she was sitting at the foot with her feet touching the floor and then she reached her arms out to hold Lena’s waist and pull her closer to her. The woman yelped in surprise, her hands automatically moving to grab at Kara’s shoulder to keep her equilibrium, as the blonde glanced up at her with a gigantic smile. Then, before Lena could even react, Kara lowered her head and pressed a warm kiss against Lena’s stomach, through the thin layer of clothes.</p><p>She felt more than heard as the other woman chuckled softly, the long fingers of one hand raising to tangle around blonde locks in a gentle scratch, and Kara sighed contently, closed her eyes and rested her forehead against Lena. They remained like that for a couple of minutes, mostly because Kara was feeling too glad to move, until the blonde scrunched her nose against the soft stomach to press another kiss, then another one, then another one.</p><p>“Is this okay?” she asked, quite distracted with her own actions. Kara wished she was kissing the skin and she had to take a grip on Lena’s nightgown to stop herself from ripping it apart.</p><p>Lena laughed then. Gentle, warm and joyous, and, when Kara looked up at her, she also looked radiant. Her green eyes were shining with emotions that Kara could only hope to understand one day, but she could distinguish something there, mingled among the others, that made her own heart skip a beat.</p><p>She was happy. Lena was happy.</p><p>She must have seen something on Kara’s face as well because her expression changed. The tenderness that crossed her features tugged at Kara’s heart so intensely that she found herself out of breath for a second.</p><p>“It’s very okay, yes,” Lena whispered her reply as she leaned down to press her lips against Kara’s.</p><p>Kara felt Lena’s tongue pry at her lips, running along for a second, and she promptly opened her mouth, greedily seeking more – more contact, more of her taste, more, more, more. The blonde sighed as she tugged her closer until Lena was standing in the middle of her legs, both of her hands gripping at the woman’s waist as though she was afraid to let go and lose her. It tingled everywhere, from where their lips were touching, to where Lena had her hands tangled in her hair, to where their legs brushed against each other, and Kara just knew she needed more.</p><p>She had no idea what more meant, but she was glad to find out along the way.</p><p>She was smart, she would figure it out.</p><p>Kara bit softly against Lena’s bottom lip before soothing it with a gentle suck, at the same time her hands wandered a bit more adventurously. The tip of her fingers brushed past the soft skin of Lena’s thigh, bringing out shivers along the way, before she stopped her movement just below the thick thighs, her fingers brushing slightly at the curve of her ass. Without a second thought, Kara got up, forcing Lena to take a step back, before she easily lifted Lena from the ground.</p><p>The other woman yelped in surprise, but she wasted no time to wrap her legs around Kara’s waist and her arms around her neck. Lena chuckled and her lips traveled from the hero’s mouth to her jaw, nibbling at the skin before moving to her ear. “What are you doing?” she growled, and then moved to attach her lips to the side of the woman’s neck.</p><p>Kara thought she would make them both fall to the ground right then and there as her legs wobbled dangerously when the voice and the new sensations against her skin sent like a fireball straight down her body. She groaned, her hands moving up to actually cup Lena’s ass, before she shook her head. “I have no idea,” she admitted. “I just know that these pajamas will be the death of me.”</p><p>Lena chuckled, her breath hot against her skin. “Do you think I put them on to tease you?”</p><p>“I hope not,” Kara sighed when another gentle bite was left on her neck. “Because then I would think you’re <em>trying </em>to kill me.”</p><p>Chuckling again, Lena nibbled a path up her neck before she sucked on her earlobe, and that was the moment Kara decided she needed to lie down. She spun around so she was facing the bed again, and then slowly eased Lena down on the bed, making sure she wouldn’t crush her when she lied on top of her. Kara wasn’t lying when she said she had no idea what she was going, but this felt so good – to have her body pressed against Lena – that she was sure at least that one thing she did right.</p><p>Deciding it was okay to start where they had already been before, Kara propped herself against one elbow, that same hand placed close enough that she could play with a strand of raven hair, before she let her other hand wander, trailing over Lena’s stomach and towards her breasts, still on top of the black nightgown, and gently cupped one, giving it a light squeeze. Lena’s breath became heavy, her mouth falling open with a sigh, and Kara bit her bottom lip.</p><p>The blonde ground her pelvis down, meeting Lena’s thigh at the same time her own thigh touched the woman. Kara dove her head to nibble at the pale clavicle on display as her hand circled a stiff nipple. The nightgown was revealing enough that she could press a kiss to the swell of Lena’s breast and she was rewarded with a loud moan. Lena ground her hips against hers next and Kara joined her moan with a deep frown.</p><p>She kissed her way back to Lena’s mouth, kissing her deeply and passionately, before she moved to whisper against her ear, “What do you want? Tell me. I will do it, you just need to tell me.”</p><p>“Kara,” Lena groaned, one of her legs raising to wrap on her waist and pull her closer.</p><p>Kara found it very hard to concentrate then. “I don’t know- I need you to-“</p><p>“What do <em>you</em> want, Kara?” the brunette asked back.</p><p>Well, to be fair, Kara’s mind wasn’t that creative when the subject was sex. She knew very little about it. But, if she was going to follow her guts, she knew exactly what she wanted. “You will need to help me,” she breathed against Lena’s ear before she started kissing her way down again.</p><p>She felt Lena nodding, but the younger woman’s voice was already lost in another moan, so Kara was going to accept that as an answer. She spent some time sucking and nibbling at Lena’s neck, easily finding her sweet spots, before she moved down to her collarbone, the curve of her breasts and a peaked nipple still covered by silk. Lena gasped when she felt Kara’s teeth grazing against her sensitive, hard nipple, and one of her hands tangled around blonde locks once more.</p><p>Kara needed a bolt of courage to move forward after that and that came when Lena tried to grind against her again. The blonde moved the hand that was caressing the full, heavy breast to drag along Lena’s ribcage and hips, before it gripped the thick tie that was wrapped around her hip. She gently nudged it to give her more space to move so she wouldn’t hurt Lena and then started to move her body down, her lips going the same way while leaving open-mouthed kisses on the way.</p><p>She stopped once her lips reached the hem of Lena’s silk shorts and she spread some kisses around on the small stretch marks she found on her lower stomach. They were beautiful, despite what Lena might think. They made her even more special because they came from carrying Liam, from giving him life, and Kara loved her even more because of that. Then, she curled her fingers on the elastic of her shorts and paused, looking up to find green eyes.</p><p>It didn’t take too long because Lena was already glancing down at her, and Kara made sure to press another kiss on her soft skin. “Still okay?” Lena nodded. Her face was flushed, so was her chest and neck, and Kara wasn’t sure when was the last time she saw someone so beautiful – well, the last time Lena smiled at her would be a safe answer, she thought. “If I hurt you, please tell me. If you want to stop or if I do something you don’t like...”</p><p>“Kara,” the brunette gently interrupted her. “I will. Don’t worry.”</p><p>Kara’s chest and cheeks swelled with a deep breath, her eyes moving back to the pale skin of Lena’s stomach, then she breathed out slowly. Lena shivered, either from the feeling of the hot breath against her skin or because Kara decided to run her hand over the woman’s shin. The skin was so soft, even with the light brush of her palm against recently shaved hair, and she watched in amazement as goosebumps rose where she touched.</p><p>“Are you sure?” Kara asked as her hand started to slowly make her way up again, choosing to do it still touching the brunette’s legs.</p><p>“Only if you are.”</p><p>At that, she smiled. Maybe she didn’t know much, but she knew what she wanted. Kara’s hand stopped sliding up just when her hand slipped under the silk shorts. Then, she pushed herself up until she was sitting on the bed by Lena’s feet, her legs tugged beneath her. From that position, Kara had a full view of Lena, spread on her king-sized bed, flushed, breathing hard and looking at her with wide, expectant green eyes.</p><p>The blonde grinned at her as her hands raised to the hem of the black shorts again but, this time, she tugged at it gently. Lena didn’t hesitate before lifting her hips, but Kara did hesitate before pulling down the piece of clothing. She did it so slowly that it took her a moment to realize Lena wasn’t even wearing underwear, but, when she did, she felt her breath got stuck in the back of her throat. Kara finished removing her shorts more out of instinct since she was suddenly very distracted by the sight of a complete bare Lena – in fact, she had no idea where she threw the damn shorts at after she untangled it from her right ankle.</p><p>Almost like magnets, Kara’s eyes flicked back up and she was glad she did because there was an explosion of heat when their eyes locked. She felt suddenly much braver, more certain of herself. She didn’t move, though, not until Lena smiled at her and nodded once, giving her the green light to keep going.</p><p>Kara placed a comforting hand against the younger woman’s stomach as she started to lower her body again until she was back to where she was before. She took a deep breath, her head spinning with the musky smell that assaulted her senses, and she waited until Lena found a more comfortable position – feet pressed against the mattress and knees spread out – before she pressed a quick kiss against Lena’s most intimate part. She pulled back right away, but she was able to see how the other woman shivered.</p><p>Okay, well, Alex said her instincts might not be enough, and maybe they wouldn’t be, but Kara had nothing else to rely on, so she was going to go with it. And think about her sister now was not a good move.</p><p>Kara’s head moved down again, and then her tongue darted out tentatively, uncertain, but spreading her folds enough to allow her to have her first taste of Lena. And, Rao’s sake, it was wonderful.</p><p>That first touch seemed to activate something inside her because Kara was suddenly very eager to keep going. She placed both of her palms against Lena’s thighs, keeping her spread out for her, and pressed her tongue harder.</p><p>“Oh, fuck,” she heard Lena cursing above her. The brunette’s breathing had increased almost dangerously fast and her hips buckled once before she pressed back down against the bed. “Up.”</p><p>Kara was more than eager to follow the instruction. She slid her tongue up, and it skimmed across a nub that made Lena’s hips buck harder than before. Moans started floating around regularly as Kara concentrated her efforts on that spot, sweeping and teasing with the flat of her tongue, before she made a couple of circles with the tip, creating a pattern she could easily keep. She had never been happier for not needing oxygen for several minutes.</p><p>The muscles on Lena’s thighs kept twitching and her hips started to move away, but, before Kara could worry about it, the woman guided her again. “Too much, too much.” She was breathless and it was clearly an effort for her to speak coherently at that moment. “You should, oh, fuck, around.”</p><p>Kara glanced up briefly in time to see her doing a circling movement with her index finger, before Lena’s hand shot up to grab the headboard. Her other hand fell on the back of Kara’s head, her fingers tangling on her hair, and Kara couldn’t help but moan. She quickly adjusted her pace, changing to run her tongue at the sides of the nub instead of directly against it. Lena’s head fell back, her hips buckling in short movements, her breath getting caught every few seconds.</p><p>Kara apparently got the movement right after a couple of tries since the brunette suddenly started to rock harder against her, her moans getting louder and louder at the same pace her hips moved more urgently. The blonde ended up wrapping her arms around her thighs, hands firmly on her hips to keep her in place, and she groaned when she felt Lena’s hand tugging at her hair.</p><p>“Fuck, Kara!”</p><p>Kara couldn’t remember the last time she worked so hard to get something she so desperately wants, but Rao! She wouldn’t rest until Lena reached her peak, not until...</p><p>“Kara!”</p><p>Lena’s back arched out of sudden, her toes curled, her entire body shook violently, and Kara barely had time to be proud of herself before the woman’s body went completely limp against the bed. The blonde pressed a kiss against Lena’s hipbone and started making her way back up. Lena pulled her in for a kiss before she could over-analyze the situation and Kara melted against her.</p><p>“How was that?” Kara asked against her lips.</p><p>The younger woman chuckled softly. “I won’t tell you so you can’t get too cocky.”</p><p>Kara hummed, skimming her nose along Lena’s jaw. “Maybe another day.”</p><p>“See,” the woman replied. “You already are.”</p><p>Kara chuckled and kissed her neck a couple of times, appreciating the small sigh that escaped Lena. The throbbing between her legs became quite hard to ignore though, so she pulled away, sitting against her heels and her hand quickly started to slid down the hem of her basketball shorts – her favorite pajamas, although not as sexy as silk nightgowns, served her well. Before she could do it, however, Lena set up and grabbed her wrist.</p><p>“Let me.”</p><p>Kara felt her cheeks getting warm and she knew she had acquired a deep shade of red. “Lena...” she sighed. “I don’t want to hurt you.”</p><p>“You won’t.” Lena’s eyes were shining with so much honesty that Kara couldn’t help but wish to trust her. She couldn’t allow her to be so reckless though.</p><p>“It can be dangerous, Lena. I would never forgive myself if I hurt you.”</p><p>Lena’s shoulders dropped and she gave a deep sigh as her eyes started to wander around the room. Her grip didn’t ease and Kara was about to lay back down and go to sleep when Lena’s eyes suddenly snapped back to her. She had a determination in her gaze that made Kara feel sure she would do anything the woman asked her.</p><p>“Sit down.” The words were spoken in a rush, although firm and resolved.</p><p>Kara hesitated, watching as Lena scooted back until she was pressed against the headboard, spreading her legs to give her room enough to sit between them. She was still naked from bellow her waist and that didn’t help Kara to keep her train of thought, and she ended up crossing the space between them with trembling legs. The blonde sat with her back to Lena’s chest, the warmth from the body behind her instantly soothing her nerves. She felt comforted, though the feeling that wrapped around her was also very pleasant.</p><p>“Can I touch you?”</p><p>Despite the fact that Kara had an idea of what was about to happen, it still took her a bit by surprise and she gasped. She looked around for a second to make sure she had enough things to grab that wasn’t any part of Lena’s body and then she relaxed back against the brunette.</p><p>“Yes,” she whispered, trying to erase any uncertainty from her voice.</p><p>It apparently didn’t work quite as well, because Lena rested her chin against her shoulder and wrapped her arms securely around her. “It’s okay if you don’t want to.”</p><p>“I want to,” Kara quickly replied. “What I don’t want, is to hurt you.”</p><p>“Trust me.” Lena kissed the side of her neck. “Tell me if you want to stop. I mean it.”</p><p>The hand spread over her stomach started to move, first down until they could slip under her loose t-shirt, and then in small circles against her bare flesh. It was a simple touch, but that was enough for Kara to feel her breath coming out shorter and faster. Her chest felt a little tighter as a heat settled down lower and she squirmed a little. With her other hand, Lena coaxed her to bring her legs up, bending her knees so she could press her feet on the bed.</p><p>Then, Lena’s hand moved up and she cupped Kara’s right breast. The blonde gasped more out of shock, especially when two fingers found a nipple and pinched it.</p><p>“Do you like it?”</p><p>Kara did, in fact, enjoy it more than the previous times someone touched her there, but, even so, it didn’t exactly set fireworks off in her stomach. “I’m not,” she paused, licked her lips, and tried again. “I’m not very... sensitive there.”</p><p>Lena hummed where she was pressing kisses on her neck and shoulder. “Maybe if I do it harder?” The blonde felt the increase in the pressure, felt a very quick shot of pleasure running down, before it faded. Lena must have noticed the same because she kissed her cheek next. “We can figure that out later.”</p><p>It sounded like a promise, one that Kara was absolutely looking forward to charging in the future.</p><p>After that, plump lips locked against her pulse point to suck the skin, and Kara forgot all about that. Lena started moving her hands down, only stopping when she reached the waistband of Kara’s baggy shorts. Her fingers touched the drawstring loop for a couple of seconds before she pulled one of the ends to untie it. The blonde’s gaze fell in time to see Lena’s hand disappearing under the gap that formed and she gasped again.</p><p>Lena cupped her over her underwear and Kara instantly wished she would keep moving. It already felt better than anything she could have done herself. The other woman allowed her a moment to get used to the feeling before she started to search around to find the hem of her panties so she could slip under it too. Just when she did it, Kara’s breath hitched and she immediately grabbed a handful of the sheets to stop herself from touching Lena.</p><p>She had no idea if she would be able to control her strength while reaching her peak and she wasn’t willing to risk it.</p><p>Two of Lena’s fingers sank between her wet folds and Kara could almost be embarrassed by how aroused she was. They slowly moved up and she started to rub firmly against a spot that made her hips buck. Kara whimpered, trying her best to stay still, although she wished nothing more than to press back against her. Lena’s other arm, the one that was still resting against her leg, moved to circle around her waist and the younger woman kept spreading kisses all over her neck.</p><p>Her head was spinning, she was breathing way too fast and she felt like her heart was trying to rip her chest open, but, Rao, was she enjoying it. Especially when Lena’s fingers quickly found the right spot to make Kara moan and jerk her hips with no ounce of control. It did not take too long before she reached herpeak, her body falling forward with the strength of the wave that hit her, her legs closed together and a breathless whimper escaping her lips.</p><p>Lena followed her movement, her fingers stilling, before she pulled Kara back with her to rest against her. Silence fell around her, broken only by Kara’s fast breathing. The hero allowed her legs to fall apart shortly after and Lena moved her hand away to rest against her hip instead, giving it a light squeeze.</p><p>“How do you feel?”</p><p>Kara sighed gladly. “Very good.”</p><p>Lena chuckled against her ear. “And you didn’t hurt me.”</p><p>Just to be sure, Kara opened her eyes – and when did she even close them? – and glanced around. Her hands were still firmly wrapped around the sheets, albeit they also had survived her pleasure, and Lena was still in one piece.</p><p>Victory, she declared.</p><p>“Do you want to take a shower now or should I go first?” Lena asked gently.</p><p>The blonde pushed herself harder against the warm body and frowned. “I don’t want to go.”</p><p>Lena pinched her side playfully. “Will you go if I say we can take a shower together?”</p><p>Well, that was certainly a good way to get her moving. She jumped to her feet in a second, turning around to hold Lena’s hand to pull her up. “Come on!”</p><p>Lena followed her between laughs all the way to the bathroom but her laugh quickly died when Kara pulled her shirt above her head and threw it on the floor. Kara wasn’t ashamed of her body, far from that, and she had no problem undressing in front of Lena – especially after everything they had done together – but she did a double-take when she saw the other woman gaping at her with wide eyes.</p><p>“Lena?”</p><p>The brunette blinked and quirked one eyebrow. “I knew you had packed abs.” She sounded almost distracted as she spoke and Kara ended up blushing under the intensity of her stare.</p><p>Kara raised her hand to fidget with her glasses, only to remember she had removed them earlier that night. She changed the movement to scratch the back of her neck instead and chuckled. They must have been quite a view, standing there in Lena’s large bathroom, Kara without her shirt and Lena without her shorts.</p><p>As if she could read her mind, Lena crossed her arms to grab the hem of her nightgown so she could pull it above her head – and Kara was sure she added a wiggle that wasn’t exactly necessary. And then Lena was completely naked in front of her. And, Rao, if that didn’t make her brain shut down entirely. Which was quite embarrassing, she would admit that.</p><p>Lena smirked – the sinful smirk of hers – and walked around her to step inside the shower area. She then turned around to face Kara as water started to fall on her back. “Aren’t you coming?” Kara almost tripped on her feet in her haste to get to her. Lena giggled happily when the blonde tried to step in with her and placed a hand on her chest to push her back. “Take your clothes off first, Kara.”</p><p>The blonde looked down with a frown, just to see the basketball shorts still in place. “Oh.”</p><p>Lena laughed again. “Do it fast, Supergirl.”</p><p>Well, with that incentive, it literally took her less than a second. They were both smiling when her arms wrapped around Lena’s middle to merge their bodies. Kara brushed her nose with Lena’s before leaning over for a kiss, and she couldn’t help but feel like the luckiest being in the entire planet.</p><p>“Hey,” Kara whispered after they were already lying in bed, tangled around each other. “Just for the record, I’m totally, completely, passionately, undoubtedly, happily in love with you.”</p><p>“I’m not easy to love, you know,” Lena replied. “I’m stubborn and I have a very fucked up past.” Kara opened her mouth to interrupt her, but the other woman spoke faster than her. “But I promise to love you with all my heart.”</p><p>The luckiest one, indeed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*Thirty years in the future*<br/>*An Astronaut just landed on the moon after so many years of no human setting foot there, he's jumping around, talking with NASA, when suddenly he sees something in the distance*<br/>Astronaut: Houston, I can see something. It looks like... Oh, my God, Houston! There's proof of life on the moon! This is... a silk black shorts?<br/>*Days later, when it hits the news*<br/>*They are all sitting in the living room, waiting to hear the big news NASA said they would announce soon. Then NASA keeps flashing the image of a silk black shorts, Lena and Kara exchange a look, and everyone just knows what happened*<br/>Alex *face-palms*: Someone, please kill me.<br/>Sam *high-fives both Lena and Kara*: My girls!<br/>Lena *is not sorry, she's just smug*: Thank you.<br/>Kara *face so red that she feels a little dizzy*: Kill me too.<br/>Ruby *on the phone*: GUYS, DID YOU SEE THAT NASA JUST PROVED THERE'S LIFE IN THE MOON?????<br/>(Credits to my amazing helper. Man, that one was great)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Leprechaun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here we go for more fluff, fluff and fluff...</p><p>As per usual, my helper, you're *chef's kiss* amazing</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“When will you be back?”</p><p>Lena glanced down at her goddaughter and offered a small smile to the mad-looking little girl. “In a week.”</p><p>Ruby pouted, glancing up at Sam for a second, before turning to stare at Kara, who was holding Liam in her arms. The baby, who was trying to reach for her glasses, had a big toothless smile that warmed Lena’s heart. “And you have to go too?”</p><p>“We will be back before you notice it, kid,” Kara promised. “Meanwhile, you can ask Alex to take her new dog for a walk.”</p><p>Lena watched as the blonde looked at her sister, who, as expected, was giving her a death glare. Alex had decided to meet her at the airport to say her goodbye, but, apparently, Sam had the same idea – Kara would never admit deliberately keeping that information to herself but Lena knew her better than that – and now they had to watch as Sam did her best to ignore Alex at the same time she glared at the redhead every few minutes, and the way Alex kept glancing at her like she was a stray dog searching for a shelter – which was a bit ironic.</p><p>Lena also knew her friend, though. And she knew Sam was already halfway there to allowing Alex back into her life.</p><p>“Can we take him for a walk, Alex?” Ruby asked with a gigantic smile and a gleam of hope in her eyes.</p><p>The agent softened a little at the request, smiling at the girl, and shrugged. “We will see.”</p><p>Alex threw a look at Sam, probably to get her approval or something, but the woman was too busy ignoring her this time, so she had to accommodate by patting Ruby’s head. Kara gave her an empathetic smile before crouching beside Ruby. The girl leaned to kiss Liam’s cheek, then gave the blonde a high five, and Lena was suddenly assaulted by the image of a toddler Liam doing the same. Once again, her heart melted.</p><p>“Hey,” Kara started with a large grin. “Did you know that the blue whale’s heart is so big that a small child would be able to walk through her veins?”</p><p>Ruby’s eyes widened in amazement, and Lena turned to share a smile with the girl’s mother. Ruby was as nerdy as they were and she looked so cute when she found out another random fact. “No way!”</p><p>“Yes, way!” Kara laughed. “I heard they’re building a real-life sized whale’s heart at the museum. Maybe we can take you once it’s done to see if you can still fit. We never know when a whale will eat us and we will need to be creative to escape.”</p><p>Ruby giggled and nodded. “Okay!”</p><p>“Come on,” Lena spoke next. “We have to go. The pilot is waiting.”</p><p>“You’re his boss,” Sam commented with an eye-roll, although she was already pulling the shorter woman for a hug. “Enjoy your time, okay? I will handle everything here.” She took a step back and grinned. “The worst that can happen is you come back and find out I sold your companies, your apartment and spent all of your money, and ran away.”</p><p>“Hm.” The younger woman tilted her head to the side and pursed her lips. “I have a girlfriend who can hunt you down.”</p><p>Before Sam could reply, luckily, Ruby jumped in next for a hug, wrapping her arms around Lena’s waist. Her head was already reaching Lena’s chest and a nostalgic feeling rushed over her for a moment. “Bye, Auntie Lena!”</p><p>“Goodbye, dear.” She kissed the top of the girl’s head and pushed some of her dark hair behind, before letting her go to join her mother.</p><p>“I will call if anything happens,” Alex promised after ending her hug with Kara. “But try not to think about things, okay?”</p><p>Kara nodded, kissed her sister’s cheek and smiled at Sam, before walking towards Lena. The brunette picked the boy from her arms so Kara could carry the luggage instead and then they started making their way to the gate that would take them to Lena’s private jet. They waved at the little group that stayed behind one last time before disappearing from sight.</p><p>There were only seven seats in the jet and they quickly adapted one to put Liam’s carrier, and sat on the seats beside it staring at each other. The pilot appeared shortly after to talk to Lena about the trip, just formalities about fuel and route, before he walked to the cabin in front of the plane.</p><p>“You know,” Lena commented, “before I got pregnant, I was trying to create a plane able to fly by itself, no pilot whatsoever.”</p><p>Kara gave her an impressed look – and Lena felt just a little bit prouder of herself “What would poor Jeremy do then?”</p><p>“That’s not his name,” Lena snorted.</p><p>“Well, he didn’t say and I didn’t know. He looks like a Jeremy.” The blonde shrugged.</p><p>Lena rolled her eyes. “He’s Captain Shoreway. And he would work on other flights, I suppose. I just prefer the idea of having technology taking over this task. People make mistakes and you can’t have that when you’re so high in the sky.”</p><p>“You’re afraid, aren’t you?” Kara guessed with a side smirk.</p><p>Lena scoffed and shook her head as she picked up the newspaper that someone had left there for her. “Please.” There was a pause during which Kara kept staring at her and Lena kept ignoring her, until it became too much. “Fine, yes, I am terrified.”</p><p>Kara huffed a laugh, got up from her seat and leaned over to kiss Lena’s cheek. “I will hold your hand the whole time.”</p><p>“Please, I’m not a child.”</p><p>Even if she said that, Lena gladly held Kara’s hand while the plane took off. Kara, on the other hand, didn’t tease her for that, although she had a knowing smirk. She just held her hand and tried to distract her with nonsense stories. Lena was very thankful for that, more than she would ever be able to explain, because, as much as she loved going back to Ireland, she hated the flight to get there. Kara had a very special way of distracting her and she felt much safer when the blonde was around.</p><p>Once the signal that the belt could be removed appeared, Kara quickly unbuckled herself – she only put her seatbelt on because Lena kept giving her weirded out looks as though she had forgotten Kara would hardly get hurt in case of a plane crash – and got up.</p><p>“I’m going to the bathroom and then we can cuddle when I come back.”</p><p>Lena scoffed at the idea as though she wouldn’t love to do just that and nodded, but didn’t watch her departure since she had already picked up the journal again. She wasn’t looking for news talking about her, but they seemed to chase her these days, and she ended up coming across another article about her possible involvement with Lex’s latest evil plot. The amusing part was that no one even knew what his plan was, they just assumed she would be a part of it.</p><p>She was used to the press being a bitch – she remembered the things that were written about her when she was kidnapped all those years ago – but that didn’t make her any less mad. She couldn’t even imagine the type of shit that would hit the fan once Lex got arrested again. And, sweet God, once they got Lillian then... She would need to brace herself for that.</p><p>Lena was about to push the paper aside when the chirping sound of the speakers reverberated above her and across the small plane. She glanced up, a little surprised to see it working since the pilots never had any need to inform her of anything during a flight, and watched the speaker like it would give her all the answers. If the plane was about to crash, she would be so pissed.</p><p>Just before she could panic too hard, she heard a throat clearing in that slightly mechanical tone that came from the plane and then a voice she recognized all too well spoke.</p><p>“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. Well... not really. Your Captain is indisposed, but I’m a pro flyer, so I can take us to safety. You can call me Captain Danvers. Anyway, please put on your seatbelts and grab a parachute. Also, the lady in seat 2B, you’re looking hot.”</p><p>Lena had moved her eyes to stare in front of her and she spotted Kara leaning against the open cabin door, holding the radio that was connected to the plane’s panel, and smiling broadly at her. The blonde thanked the pilot, who kept his face passive and devoid of any emotion as he put his radio back, before walking back to where Lena was glaring at her while shaking her head.</p><p>The brunette waited until she was sat before huffing. “I can’t believe I fell in love with you from all people.”</p><p>“You think I’m funny,” Kara replied with a wink.</p><p>“Hardly.” Even if Lena said that in the most monotonous voice, her lips kept twitching while she fought back a smile. “Captain Danvers, huh?” she teased after a minute in silence, her voice acquiring a flirtatious tone, and watched as Kara’s ears reddened.</p><p>Lena chuckled lowly to herself and went back to reading the newspaper just to give her some time to recover. Kara didn’t pull any other jokes the rest of the flight – because she fell asleep, not because she didn’t feel like it, Lena was sure.</p><p>Galway airport was so small that it hadn’t done any commercial flights for quite some time, being open exclusively to receive only small jets and private flights, so Lena didn’t have to worry about the place being too crowded when they landed. In fact, it was so empty that it took them two minutes to even run into someone that didn’t work there and, even so, the person barely spared them a look.</p><p>She could already feel the relief and the lightness washing over her. When she took a deep breath, gladly receiving the slightly cold air and the smell of the nature around them, she sighed contently. It felt so much like home that she couldn’t help but wish she could just move there instead.</p><p>“Hey,” Kara excitedly called out for her from where she was a few steps ahead, holding a sleepy Liam in her arms, and looking around with wide blue eyes. “It’s a beautiful day! Look at the sky!”</p><p>Lena did, indeed, look at the sky. Blue and bright, almost with no clouds, following the line of several treetops. Even so, the air was very chilly and she knew it would get a bit colder at night, so she walked over them to straighten Liam’s cap. It had bear ears, one that Kara had bought in the airport when she heard it would be cold in Ireland when they landed, and it made him look even cuter. Then, the brunette reached over and also pulled Kara’s beanie down to cover her ears.</p><p>The taller woman gifted her with a goofy smile and Lena shook her head fondly with staring at beautiful blue eyes. “Thought you couldn’t feel cold.”</p><p>Kara shrugged. “I’m being sympathetic.”</p><p>Lena huffed with a small smile before setting the walk again. The airport employer who so gently offered to take their bags for them was quietly following them and Lena wanted to ease him from the task soon. She had rented a car and the black Mercedes was waiting for them outside.</p><p>“I’m dating the richest chick around,” Kara whistled.</p><p>The brunette could hear the teasing in her voice and quickly shoved her away. “Install Liam’s seat while I put the bags in the trunk.”</p><p>She gave the nice young man a good tip for helping them after she closed the trunk and he walked away after offering her a smile. Kara had already made sure that Liam was comfortable inside the car and Lena brushed her hand along her shoulder blades when she walked behind her.</p><p>“Do you want to see around town before going to my house?”</p><p>Kara glanced at her phone to see the time before shrugging. “I suppose. I think you will be sleeping the second you see a bed.”</p><p>Lena rolled her eyes as she slipped behind the wheel. “It’s your fault I didn’t sleep much last night. And it was a long flight.”</p><p>“It was barely six hours.”</p><p>“Some of us didn’t pass out the second the plane took flight.”</p><p>Kara, who had also entered the car, turned to give her a sheepish smile before leaning over to kiss her cheek. “Come on, show me this city of yours, then we can go and rest for an entire week.”</p><p>Lena droved them to the Spanish Arch first, which had Kara asking all types of questions about it, so Lena took her to the Galway City Museum next – not that she wasn’t pleased to answer every question the woman might have. Liam missed all of it because he was sound asleep in his carrying basket that Kara so carefully carried around like it weighed nothing. Their next stop was at Lynch’s Castle and Kara looked at everything with wide eyes and open mouth.</p><p>“You know, the story says that the mayor hanged his own son from a window in 1493,” Lena commented while pointing at the high windows.</p><p>Kara gasped as her eyes followed the movement as though she was seeing the scene unfold right in front of her. “What a jerk.”</p><p>Lena laughed at that, both because she wasn’t used to Kara cursing nor to have her saying anything bad about anyone, before she wrapped one arm around the blonde’s waist. “Come on, the sunset will happen soon and I know a very nice place from where we can watch it.”</p><p>They had time to walk down Quay Street and, once again, Kara was enchanted by everything. From the small business buildings to the colors, to the flags hanging around, to the random musicians playing their instruments here and there. Lena had walked those streets numerous times during her life and it still made her heart beat a little faster, and she would be lying if she said she wasn’t happy to see Kara reacting the same way to the city she so dearly loved.</p><p>Kara made them make a quick stop at one of the cafes to eat some of the pies she saw from the street. Lena indulged herself with a cup of coffee, because how could she not, and watched in amusement as the blonde inhaled one slice of pie after another one. She didn’t mind and she did think it was cute, but the attendants were giving her a concerned look after the fifth flavor of pie she tried. When Kara got distracted with Liam when the boy suddenly woke up, Lena paid for the bill and ordered three entire pies to go, ignoring how the young woman gave her a weird look.</p><p>It was totally worth it because Kara beamed at her as if she had just offered the sun when she walked out with the pies securely inside a bag. It earned her a peck on her lips, so it was definitely worth it. There was a street singer in front of a restaurant a little down the street and he stopped playing his guitar to wave at them when they passed. Kara had a big smile when she waved back and Lena couldn’t help but wrap her arms around her waist. The blonde chuckled as she dropped her free arm on Lena’s shoulders to keep her close.</p><p>They walked like that almost all the way back to the car before Kara spotted an old-looking man sweeping the front of his flower shop. Kara let go of Lena to walk straight to him, and the younger woman followed her absently. The woman whispered something to the man while throwing glances over her shoulder at Lena. The man had a hard time understanding her, probably because she was whispering and because, to him, she was the one with a funny accent, but he ended up smiling at her while disappearing inside his shop.</p><p>He returned a while later holding a single red rose, and Kara quickly paid him – more than it probably cost because she was so fascinated by the colorful money Lena had handed her earlier – before taking the rose from his hands. Lena was fighting really hard not to smile while the blonde walked towards her, but it was a lost war when Kara smiled at her first. If there was a mirror nearby, Lena was sure she would see herself glowing when the blonde stretched her arm to give her the rose.</p><p>“You’re such a romantic,” she accused, although her heart had just swelled ten thousand times its size by the gesture.</p><p>“So are you,” Kara whispered while leaning to kiss her cheek.</p><p>Lena snorted. “I’m not.”</p><p>“You are,” the blonde replied, smiling brightly at her. “You bought me pie!”</p><p>Well, Lena couldn’t help it. She huffed a laugh, rolled her eyes and pushed herself on her tiptoes to peck the pink lips that haunted her dreams since she first saw them. They returned to their walk shortly after and Lena quickly glanced at her watch to make sure there would be enough time to see the sunset before going to her cottage just outside town. She hired someone to clean the house and fill the fridge with food, although she doubted she would have enough energy to cook that night.</p><p>There was an Garda Síochána police officer standing idly by the sidewalk, just glancing around to make sure that the large number of tourists were fine and there was no trouble, and Lena felt herself panic when Kara approached the man with a jump in her step. She quickly reached out to grab her arm and she was a bit surprised when the blonde actually stopped.</p><p>“What are you doing?” Lena asked exasperatedly.</p><p>“I was going to ask him a question.” Kara shrugged. “I fell in love with a Galway girl and I would like to know where I should go to sue the city.”</p><p>“Kara!” Lena gasped and promptly pulled her away feeling quite glad that she had stopped her in time. She started pushing Kara to the car, but she didn’t miss the way the woman was laughing all the way. “I swear to God! You don’t even act like you have... How old are you?”</p><p>“52.”</p><p>“52...” Lena paused, stopping in her tracks, and repeated the number. “52.” She glanced up at Kara, who was giving her a very amused smile. “You’re old.”</p><p>The blonde laughed loudly at that. “Am I not hot for you now?”</p><p>“Well, my mother always said I should find a rich man who’s about to die to get married with,” Lena commented with a scoff. “I got the old part right.”</p><p>Kara gasped, outraged by her sassiness, albeit her smile still hadn’t faltered. “Take it back!”</p><p>Lena started pushing her again until they were both inside the car, then she turned her head to grin at her. “I will start by calling you a boomer.”</p><p>“No, you won’t!”</p><p>Laughing, Lena kissed her cheek. “How old are you supposed to be on Earth?”</p><p>“27. I celebrate my Earth birthday in May, but I don’t know when my real birthday is.”</p><p>“Let me guess, you didn’t celebrate such a thing in Krypton.”</p><p>“Yep.” The blonde nodded and then tilted her head, narrowed her eyes and stared attentively at the woman driving the car. “And it turns out I happen to know your birthday is getting closer. No thanks to you, may I add.”</p><p>Lena sighed. “Ruby or Sam?” It had to be one of them. Lena hadn’t celebrated her birthday since she was sixteen and, in all fairness, she would very much like to forget about it if she could. She didn’t have a nice history with her birthdays, mostly thanks to Lillian and her inability to allow her to be happy over anything.</p><p>“Both, to be fair.”</p><p>“Traitors,” she scoffed.</p><p>Kara reached out to put a hand on her knee, giving it a light squeeze on it. “You’ll be 25 in two weeks. How do you feel?”</p><p>“The same as I did when I was 24. Although I feel quite younger now that I know I’m dating-“</p><p>“No! Drop it!” Kara groaned and crossed her arms. “I shouldn’t have said that,” she grumbled.</p><p>Lena chuckled happily. “I’m sorry, darling, but that was bound to happen.”</p><p>The hero huffed and, if Lena wasn’t able to see the corner of her lips twitching, she would have thought the woman was actually mad. “I was trying to make you laugh. And I gave you a rose!”</p><p>“You almost asked a Police officer where you should go to sue the city!” Lena shook her head quite in disbelief. Now that she thought about it though, it was a bit funny. Unable to stop herself, she huffed a laugh. “It’s like having two kids, I swear. Liam doesn’t give me so much work.”</p><p>“I wasn’t actually going to ask him! And he’s still a baby. Give him some time.”</p><p>“Don’t even joke about it,” the brunette rolled her eyes as she pulled on a parking spot.</p><p>They enjoyed the sunset at the Salthill Promenade while Kara held Liam with his back rested against her chest and Lena resting her chin on the woman’s shoulder while she had her arms wrapped around her waist. It was cozy and Lena couldn’t remember a time she felt so carefree and content. She tried to drag their time and they ended up walking away when the night had already fallen around them, so she proposed they should get dinner at one of the restaurants in the area before driving to her cottage.</p><p>“Lena...” Kara gasped as she stepped out of the car. “This house is beautiful!”</p><p>Lena smiled to herself as she took Liam from the car seat. The baby giggled at her, completely alert after sleeping for the most of the day, and she used her hip to shut the door while she stared back at her house. It wasn’t a big house – Lillian would certainly faint if she ever had to set foot on it. Two bedrooms, a small kitchen, one bathroom and a living room formed the stone-built cottage, along with a large wooden porch and a large open space all around the property.</p><p>“Can you grab our baggage?” Lena asked as she walked past Kara to open the door. “And my rose,” she added with a smirk, looking over her shoulder, while she turned the knob.</p><p>The house was clean and tidy, there was a lingering smell of lavender and pine, and Lena took a deep breath the second she crossed the door. Kara came in right behind her, struggling to bring four suitcases without bumping them against something.</p><p>“Three of those are yours,” Kara complained, sounding out of breath purely for dramatic effect. “How long do you intend to stay here?”</p><p>“As long as I possibly can.” Lena rolled her eyes, albeit fondly, before pointing a corner of the living room where Kara could leave the bags for a while. “But two of them are for Liam.”</p><p>Kara dropped the bags and shot her a shocked look. “He’s a baby.”</p><p>“Exactly.”</p><p>“Rao,” the blonde mumbled under her breath and she was ready to say something else when her eyes finally caught the room they were in.</p><p>The inside of the cottage was cozy and filled with paintings that added another layer to the homey environment. There was a small couch in front of an open fireplace, a coffee table in between, and the kitchen was right beside it with wooden counters and a blue fridge that didn’t look like it belonged there. There was a bathroom down the hall and, climbing up the stairs, two bedrooms. No one would ever believe a place like this belonged to a Luthor. One of the millions of castles spread over Ireland? Sure. But not that cottage. And maybe that’s what made the place so special.</p><p>“Your house is gorgeous and all,” Kara commented with a smile, “but I’m starving.”</p><p>“Of course,” Lena nodded. “I need to feed Liam. He didn’t want his last bottle. You can start eating.”</p><p>“You sure?” Even if she asked that, Kara was already fishing for the food bag. “I can wait.”</p><p>“I will pretend I believe in you, but there’s no need to wait.” The brunette winked as she made her way to the couch to get more comfortable.</p><p>Ironically, Kara and Liam were done eating almost at the same time, which made Lena look between them with a raised brow, before the blonde approached her to take Liam from her arms. She insisted that Lena should eat while she made him burp and the baby fell asleep still in her arms. Lena smiled lovingly at the sight in front of her. Kara, bouncing a sleeping Liam in her arms gently, walking around the small room while humming a melody at him.</p><p>Lena never imagined she would ever be lucky enough to find someone who would be able to love every side of her, who would love her despite everything. She never thought she would find someone who would love every inch of her. Who would kiss and caress all the parts that she felt strongly insecure about, who would whisper praises against her ear, who would touch her with so much care. Someone so enamored by her as she was by them and had no problem showing that.</p><p>She could still feel Kara’s lips and hands, the softness in her touch against her skin, her mouth, the stretch marks on her stomach. How she felt loved, cared for, safe, wanted. And she was surprised by those feelings every day because Kara never let her stop feeling like that. It was hard to believe they had met only five months before. It honestly felt like a lifetime.</p><p>Lena brushed the thoughts away when Kara asked where she should put Liam down to sleep so she could lead her to one of the bedrooms. She had a crib delivered to the house a couple of days before and it was ready to be used, so she just pulled the blankets so Kara could put the baby down. The blonde kissed his head, put him down, and then they both tucked him with the blankets to keep him warm at night.</p><p>“I saw a wine bottle,” Kara commented while they walked out silently. “Do you want to drink some?”</p><p>“I would have to pump to be able to drink it,” Lena sighed. “And I’m too tired for that.”</p><p>The blonde sped her step so she could turn and stand in front of Lena, the brunette arching her eyebrows in question, before she pulled the woman by the waist to flush against her. They were walking towards the stairs, but Kara started walking back, which meant Lena had to walk backward, although she trusted the woman to stop her from falling.</p><p>“You’re going to sleep.”</p><p>“Kara,” Lena complained, her hands resting against the blonde’s sides. “The kitchen is a mess and the bags are still downstairs.”</p><p>“I will bring it to you and then I will clean the kitchen.” Kara kissed her forehead and let her go after they entered the master bedroom. “You should rest.”</p><p>“Darling...”</p><p>“<em>Zhao</em>,” Kara replied with a lovingly smile. “Go to sleep. I will take care of everything!”</p><p>Lena only agreed because she felt like the bed was calling for her. She could almost hear it saying her name and that was a clear signal she needed, indeed, to sleep for a while. She jumped in the shower, quickly washing herself, and her suitcase was already waiting for her on top of the bed when she exited it. Lena could hear Kara moving downstairs and she tried to stay awake to wait for her, but, as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was gone.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Surprisingly, Kara woke up first the next day. She woke up with Liam’s cries and she quickly made her way to his room to see what the problem was. A dirty diaper and the need to stretch a little bit, which she did while saying random words at him to see if he could say anything back. His vocabulary was mostly composed of sounds that could almost sound like a word if you tried hard enough – mah, tah, gah, guh, blah and many others. Lena must have been really tired because, when Kara walked back to their room, the woman was still sound asleep.</p><p>She decided to let Lena sleep for a while longer and Liam also wasn’t ready to be up, so Kara decided to entertain herself in the kitchen. She made herself some tea and started eating some of the pies Lena bought her, making sure to leave at least one slice for the other woman, before she decided she had seen Lena doing pancakes enough times to try to make them herself.</p><p>It went, as expected, horribly wrong.</p><p>Then, Kara decided to start a fire in the fireplace, using some of the wood that was sitting beside it, and, even if she would never admit it, she used her heat vision to ignite it. She couldn't feel the cold that she knew was outside, so she decided not to lock herself inside when she could enjoy some fresh air. The sun was also rising and she could enjoy some of its rays from the porch. So, the blonde picked up a book she had brought with her and walked outside intending to sit in one of the comfortable chairs there.</p><p>However, as soon as she walked out, she noticed something she hadn’t seen the other day. It was a hammock – beautifully made in shades of gray – just lying on the floor, hooked in only one side, and an idea formed inside her head. She picked the other end, walked over the other hook to attach it, and smiled when she set down on it. Rao knows the lack of opportunities she has to just sit and relax, and that was exactly what she would do.</p><p>The book was a mystery one and she was soon pulled into the plot as she lazily pushed herself on the hammock using one foot. Her eyes kept stealing glances around every few seconds because, Rao, that place was gorgeous. The view was breath-taking, the house was cozy, the silence was comforting and being there with her favorite people in the world was just heartwarming.</p><p>Kara had no idea how long she stayed there, idly swaying on the hammock and reading her book, before she heard the door behind her cracking open slowly. She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was – not because there was just one possibility, but because Lena’s heartbeat had become a part of her already – so she waited until the other woman came into view, ducking her head to pass under the hammock’s ropes. Lena had a huge fluffy blanket draped around her shoulders, her hair was a mess and her eyes were still slightly shut as though she wasn’t entirely awake yet, and she looked gorgeous.</p><p>“Hey,” Kara smiled and greeted. “Do you want to join me?” She opened one arm, giving room for Lena to slid beside her, and then smiled largely.</p><p>The brunette didn’t say anything, she just sat beside her on the hammock, Kara’s arm around her shoulders as she rested her cheek on the blonde’s chest. The hero glanced down at her, noticed how the younger woman’s eyes closed again, before she leaned over to kiss the top of her head and snuggle her closer to her. Her body was naturally warmer and, added with the heavy blanket Lena brought out with her, there was no risk of the human being cold.</p><p>She waited for Lena’s breath to even out before she returned to her book, keeping her arm wrapped around the woman and her foot swaying the hammock gently. Lena had put her legs inside the hammock and she was leaning against Kara’s side, completely asleep and snoring lightly, and Kara had felt that happy only a handful of times in her life. There were still a few things to worry about– where Lex and Lillian ran away to, the pressure from the press, the chaos that would be waiting for them when they got back – but Kara couldn’t feel anything but happiness at that moment.</p><p>Using her speed, Kara finished the book in the next hour, and then she just threw it to the side so she could curl both of her arms around the brunette. She also closed her eyes, allowing her senses to focus solely on both heartbeats around her. Kara didn’t fall asleep, but she enjoyed the peace of the moment and she knew she would keep that memory close to her heart forever.</p><p>Eventually, Lena started to stir, a small groan leaving the back of her throat as she stretched her muscles and slowly woke up. Kara loosed her grip around her to give her more room, but Lena quickly shot an arm from under the cocoon she had made to herself to bring her closer again. The blonde chuckled softly and bent her head down to kiss her forehead.</p><p>“Good morning, love.”</p><p>Lena hummed, skimmed her face against Kara’s chest and sighed. “Morning.”</p><p>Kara laughed again, using her index finger to move a strand of raven hair out of the way. They stayed like that for a while longer, just enjoying each other’s presence, the closeness and intimacy, until Lena felt awake enough to speak and ask questions.</p><p>“Why is the house smelling like burned food?”</p><p>“I tried to make pancakes,” the blonde explained with a shrug.</p><p>It was time for Lena to laugh. “How can you make food for Liam without exploding your house?”</p><p>“I have no clue.”</p><p>“Well, I will have to teach you then,” Lena tilted her head up to kiss the closes path of skin she could find without moving too much – just under Kara’s chin – and smiled. “Do you still want pancakes for breakfast?”</p><p>“Sure.” Kara was dreaming of the pancakes since before she woke up, so, of course, she wanted some.</p><p>“We can make pancakes for breakfast, then I will teach you something for lunch.” The younger woman promised as she started to sit up straight. Kara stopped rocking the hammock to slow the movement to make it easier for her to move and the blanket around Lena’s body fell a little. “What do you want for dinner?”</p><p>Kara gave it a quick thought before she smiled broadly. “Cookies.”</p><p>“Cookies?” Lena quirked one eyebrow at her.</p><p>“Yep,” she said while nodding.</p><p>The brunette huffed. “Cookies aren’t dinner.”</p><p>“Well, it is, if we bake them for dinner.” With a shrug, Kara tilted her head to the side to give Lena her best puppy look, although she couldn’t help but smile when she saw the look on the woman’s face – something between exasperation and fondness.</p><p>“I’m afraid we don’t have ingredients for cookies.”</p><p>“We can go buy it,” Kara prompted without missing a beat.</p><p>Lena rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to town today. I want to stay in, read a book, cuddle and rest.”</p><p>“I can go,” the blonde offered instead. “Just tell me what you need, where to go and how your money works.”</p><p>Chucking, Lena leaned against her again, resting her head on her shoulder. “You really want those cookies, huh?” Kara nodded eagerly and the woman chuckled again. “Okay, fine. You can go later, no need to go now. For now, we make the pancakes and then cuddle.”</p><p>Liam didn’t share his mother’s idea, though. They were just finishing with the pancakes when he woke up. He wasn’t crying, but Kara heard his heart peak and rushed to get him before he could start. When she brought him down with her, he was completely alert and ready to start his day, more energetic than he ever was. They ended up having to take turns to eat their breakfast and, in the end, Kara found herself sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the fireplace while holding out some toys for him while he kept throwing them away.</p><p>She was about to ask him to stop doing that because she was tired of stretching herself to grab the things he threw, when she noticed his sudden interest at something behind her. She looked around and saw the puppy she gave him thrown just behind her left knee. Kara reached to grab it for him, before she noticed he was moving to stay on his hands and knees. He was doing that quite a lot since he started, but Liam still hadn’t mastered the move to start crawling. Lena and her kept encouraging him to do it, but he was just ignoring them for now.</p><p>Kara got an idea, though. She put the dog in her lap instead of giving it to him and then pat her thighs. “Come and get it, sweetie. You can do it.”</p><p>He swayed, his little bum resting against his heels and wiggling a little like he was training the movement he needed to do. She kept encouraging him to move and get closer to her, and he kept getting up and sitting down without moving from his place, until he took one hand from the floor and tried to reach out for her.</p><p>“That’s it!” Kara praised. “Now you put it here,” she pointed at a spot in front of him, “and move the other one too, and then your legs.”</p><p>Liam ended up putting his hand down at the same place it was before and the green eyes he had inherited from his mother glared at her as though he couldn’t understand why she wasn’t giving him his toy. Kara didn’t give up though. She showed him the puppy again, put it back on her lap, and started making a ‘come here’ movement with her hands.</p><p>He raised his hand again, this time putting it just an inch forward, before he dragged his leg through the floor. Kara gaped at him quite comically and, although it wasn’t exactly a crawl, it was progressing. She was certain he could do it. The blonde picked up the puppy with one hand while the other one kept asking him to come to her, her words trying to coax him to get moving.</p><p>Finally, he repeated the movement with his other hand and leg, and then again, before he fell back on his butt to glare at her. He didn’t give any indication that he would try again, but that was a crawl. Small and fast, but a crawl.</p><p>“Lena,” Kara called, feeling a little bad that she didn’t call the woman before to see it, but, as she turned her head to search for her, she saw Lena standing there beside the couch, looking at them with watery eyes, a huge loving smile and holding her phone as though she had been filming the whole thing. “He crawled,” the blonde whispered in awe. Lena only nodded. “He’s too young, right? To get too far or sustain his weight for too long.”</p><p>As she said that, Liam rolled to his tummy and started giggling to himself, the puppy completely forgotten. He had been able to sit on his heels with his hands on the floor for a few seconds for only a day or two, and they certainly weren’t expecting for him to crawl so soon, but Rao. He just did that!</p><p>“If he’s crawling now,” Kara commented, “I’m sure his first words will come, like, next week.”</p><p>Lena snorted and discreetly raised one hand to dry the corner of her eyes, before she put her phone away and walked towards them to kiss Kara. Once they pulled away, Lena kissed her forehead and gently asked her to put more wood in the fire while she fed Liam.</p><p>For the rest of the day, Kara kept trying to make him crawl again, but Liam refused to give it another try. At some point, Lena also tried but her son was clearly not feeling like it anymore, so they called it a spur of the moment. Kara sent the video to Alex all the same, with words all in capslock, praising the boy – “Alex, he’s crawling! Look!”.</p><p>When the sunset started to approach, Lena gave Kara a list of ingredients, pointed her where the closest market would be, and sent her to buy what they would need to make some cookies. They had a whole day planned the next day, since they didn’t want to waste all week being stuck inside the house, and making more cookies would come in hand for snacks.</p><p>Kara returned just half an hour later, since she had flown to the city, holding a large cloth bag. She placed it on the counter and Lena started to pull out the ingredients so they could get started before it got too late and they got too lazy. Kara leaned against the counter beside her, biting her bottom lip and looking at her expectantly, and Lena just knew she had done something.</p><p>The blonde watched as Lena’s shoulders dropped all of sudden and heard the quick sigh that left her lips when she pulled out a package from inside the bag that she hadn’t asked for. It was almost impossible to hold back her laugh then, but Kara was determined not to miss whatever Lena was about to say.</p><p>“Dinosaur cookie cutter?” the woman declared with another sigh as she turned her head to look at Kara. The blonde nodded eagerly, her lips twitching violently. The brunette rolled her eyes and put the cutters away, although she had a smile while doing so. “I didn’t ask for cookie cutters, and I definitely didn’t ask for a dinosaur-shaped one.”</p><p>“But that makes the cookies yummier.”</p><p>Lena huffed. “Well, I can’t say you don’t make life more interesting, that’s for sure.”</p><p>Kara chuckled as she wrapped her arms around Lena from behind, spreading kisses over Lena’s neck. “Is that a good thing for you?”</p><p>“We’re having dinosaur cookies for dinner, aren’t we?”</p><p>The blonde chuckled once more, pressed a warm, wet kiss on Lena’s cheek and then rested her chin on her shoulder. “Teach me how to make dinosaur cookies.”</p><p>Lena closed her eyes and shook her head. “I can’t believe I will have to spend the rest of my life with you.”</p><p>Touched, Kara ignored the bite of tears behind her eyes so she could lean over and kiss Lena’s cheek. “You don’t <em>have </em>to.”</p><p>“Oh, but I’m going to,” the brunette quickly replied with a firm nod and a grin, then she turned her head to receive the peck Kara gave her. “Give me some wine or no deal, though.”</p><p>“Yes, ma’am!”</p><p>The next day, they visited Ennis, the city Lena’s biological mother was born. It was a charming little city and they spent most of the time enjoying the local culture. Lena taught her some Irish, they ordered a huge plate of fish and chips, they took some photos of Liam and shared a beer since Lena didn’t want to risk drinking too much. Then, they went to the local cemetery, where Lena visited her mother’s grave.</p><p>It was a bit harsh to watch the woman she loved quietly crying over a grave and Kara had to bite back her own tears as she read the words engraved there. Cora McCarthy. The woman was only 24 when she died, the same age Lena was now, and Kara could feel the sorrow Lena still felt because of it. Once Lena was done, getting up and putting down the small bouquet she had bought on the way, Kara dried her tears with her thumbs and wrapped her arms around her.</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>“I’m sorry about your family too.”</p><p>The loss of her own family was still something that haunted her to this day, absolutely. Much of her life was influenced by that occurrence – her fear of losing people she loved, the constant fear that she would be alone again, the fear of the dark, the nightmares she eventually had. But she had found the Danvers and they gave her a second chance, another family, they loved and cared for her. What Lena got after her mother died was a broken family who didn’t have room for her and offered nothing but hurtful words.</p><p>That made her remember something that had been lost in her memories thanks to everything that had gone down in the last week and a half.</p><p>“Lena,” she started quietly, not sure how to say what she needed to say. “I don’t think you know this, but... Lionel... Lionel was your biological father.” Shocking her, all Lena did was sigh deeply against her neck. “Are you... Are you okay?”</p><p>“I already knew,” Lena admitted. “Well, not for too long. It was in the files Lillian gave me. Alex handed them back to me and I saw it. I don’t know why she wanted me to know, but there was an old DNA test there.”</p><p>Kara was a bit relieved that she wasn’t the one who had to break the news, although she made sure to hug Lena a bitter tighter. “How do you feel about this?”</p><p>“It doesn’t exactly change things, does it? My mother is still gone, my father is dead for over a decade now, Lex is still my brother,” Lena sighed again. “At least, now I know why Lillian hated me so much.”</p><p>“She was wrong in doing so. She-“</p><p>“Kara, with all due respect, I don’t want to talk about Lillian right now.” Lena pulled away and glanced back at the grave. Liam, who had been sleeping in his carrier on the floor, was the next thing she looked at, before staring back at the flowers she had left for her mother.</p><p>Kara nodded in understanding. “Do you want to tell me about her? What do you remember of her?”</p><p>“Not much,” Lena replied, but she had a small smile. “I look like her. Dark hair and green eyes. I know she loved to swim, she liked to read and she loved the outdoors.”</p><p>“She sounded like a great person.”</p><p>“She probably was,” the younger woman agreed with a short nod. Then, she sighed again and turned on her heels. “Come on, I want to show you something on our way back and I don’t want to be late.”</p><p>They left after that, Kara feeling extremely grateful towards a woman she never met, and Lena drove them back to Galway in relative silence. She was clearly lost in thought and Kara let her be while she appreciated the landscape. It made her feel like painting again, something she hadn’t done in a very long time.</p><p>Lena ended up taking her to another cute street filled with cafes and pubs, and she let Kara wander around alone while she found a bathroom to change Liam’s diaper. After she returned, they chose a place to eat a snack before going back to the cottage. They gave Liam a warm bath, put him in some fluffy clothes and put him to sleep, before they went back to the living room to cuddle on the couch, the fire warming them up while they tangled their legs and talked in whispers.</p><p>At some point, Kara lied down with her head on Lena’s lap and closed her eyes, their conversation naturally dying. The younger woman grabbed a book so she could read instead, and her hands slowly started to stroke Kara’s blonde hair. The blonde was wrapped in a blanket, even though she didn’t need one, and Lena suspected it was more to keep Lena herself warm. She only paused her stroking when she needed to flip a page and it didn’t take long for Kara to fall into a restful slumber, looking and feeling completely at peace.</p><p>Lena smiled down lovingly and did her best to bend down and kiss Kara’s forehead, before she went back to her reading.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kara: I love you<br/>Lena: I love you more<br/>Kara: No, I definitely love you more<br/>Lena: You're mistaken because I love you more<br/>Kara: There's no possibility that what you're saying is true. I love you way more<br/>Lena: Now, you listen to me, you little shit...</p><p>Sam: What are they doing?<br/>Alex: Aggressivily loving each other, I guess</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. What happens in Galway</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hotty times, fluffy times, as we all like to see</p><p>To the best pumpink pie, aka my helper, you rock!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Strong arms circling her waist were what snapped Lena out of her thoughts. She sighed happily as she allowed herself to rest back against the body pressed against her and shivered when a soft kiss was pressed just below her earlobe. Lena hummed, her lips curling in a small smile, and kept stirring the food inside the pan.</p><p>“Are you trying to seduce me, Ms. Danvers?”</p><p>A huffed chuckle sounded by her ear and the hot breath that hit her neck made her shiver again. “That depends,” Kara replied in a mellow voice. “Is it working?”</p><p>Lena hummed again, taking one hand from the panhandle so she could put it on top of Kara’s against her stomach. “Maybe after I’m done with dinner, it might.”</p><p>The blonde pressed a kiss on her temple. “Liam is already asleep. We tired him out today.”</p><p>They had woken up a bit late, tangled around each other, and had a lazy morning while they waited for the soft drizzle to die down so they could get on with their plan. Lena took her to the Cliffs of Moher, which were, apparently, a must-go when visiting Ireland, and they had a nice picnic after they climbed some rocks to watch the view. It was striking and quite breathtaking, despite the slightly cold air. Liam had the time of his life rolling around on the blanket and grabbing some of the grass with his little fingers, eating some puree and just living his best life, so it wasn’t surprising that he was out the second they put him back in the car.</p><p>“I have no idea how you’re not tired,” Lena commented. “I don’t think I will be able to walk tomorrow. And not in a good way.”</p><p>Kara snorted, although she was sure the woman was blushing. “Oh, I don’t know if you know this, but...” lowering her voice, the blonde whispered against her ear, “I’m an alien.”</p><p>“No way!” Lena fake gasped, turning off the stove, and turned around to face Kara, sliding her arms to wrap around her neck. “So you can’t get tired? Interesting. This is giving me a lot of ideas.”</p><p>As expected, the hero blushed furiously but, surprisingly, she didn’t back away. Instead, Kara ducked her head and kissed the sharp curve of the shorter woman’s jaw. Her hands, that were resting against Lena’s waist, squeezed gently. “Maybe you should save those ideas for later.”</p><p>Lena’s breath got stuck on her throat and it was almost comical how her attention was piqued, as though she was a dog being offered a bone. Lena giggled when Kara brushed her lips against a very sensitive part of her neck. Shoving her away, the brunette turned around to continue to prepare their dinner, though the main reason she did that was to hide a flush rising on her cheeks.</p><p>However, as soon as she had turned on her heels, Kara’s hands on her waist tugged at her until they were facing each other again. Before she could even ask what was going on, Kara clashed their mouths together. The kiss was quite surprising, although not unwanted for sure, and Lena felt her knees shake slightly when Kara took a step forward to pin her against the kitchen counter. She was very aware of the hot pan behind her, so her hands wiggled around with uncertainty before she placed them on the blonde’s shoulders.</p><p>The kiss was different from every other one they had before. It was deep, heavy, breathtaking and very heated, so heated that she could feel her jaw ache and her lips swell and tingle. She eventually had to lower her hand to Kara’s chest to gently push her away because her lungs were screaming for air.</p><p>Kara pulled away, only to start spreading open-mouthed kisses all over her neck and collarbone. Every time her teeth brushed against her skin, Lena would gasp and her fingers would grip the taller woman’s shirt like she was trying to pull her closer. She could feel the tip of Kara’s fingers digging on her hips through her very comfortable knitted white jumper and, just before she could lose all train of thoughts, she inhaled sharply.</p><p>“Are you trying to seduce me?” she asked again, more serious this time.</p><p>The blonde groaned on her neck before she gave a sharp bite on her shoulder where her jumper had fallen slightly. Not enough to bruise, but enough to make her feel it, and she took it as a ‘yes’. When Kara’s fingers slipped under her jumper and touched her bare stomach Lena’s knees bucked and the hero quickly moved her away from the hot stove.</p><p>Kara took two steps to the side until she had her ass pressed only against the counter and captured her surprised gasp into another kiss. She sucked and bit Lena’s bottom lip when she opened her mouth, and the shorter woman’s hands moved to grab the hem of Kara’s shirt. Kara moved away for only a second so Lena could pull her shirt up and off before she was back attacking Lena’s plump lips as she wrapped one arm around Lena’s waist.</p><p>“Kara,” she husked out, shuddering at the feeling of Kara’s fingers slipping under her jumper. “You said you were hungry.”</p><p>“I am,” Kara growled, lowering her kisses to her neck once again. To leave no doubts about what she was talking about, the blonde moved her other hand to cup Lena’s breast.</p><p>“What got into you?”</p><p>“Do you want me to stop?” Kara asked, already pulling away like she was concerned Lena would say exactly that.</p><p>Which was an absurd thought. Lena would never ask such a thing. They agreed to go slow, of course – and they managed to do that for what? Two weeks? – but Lena had no doubts she wanted Kara to keep going. After the night they had before their trip, she had been dreaming about more, about being able to touch Kara and being touched, and, to be honest, three days was a very long time to go without doing that.</p><p>“No,” she finally answered in a whisper. Lena closed her eyes and threw her head back as her hands went to the nape of Kara’s neck to pull her back to where she was before. “Don’t stop. Don’t ever stop.” She felt Kara nodding against her, although she couldn’t reply when she had her mouth attached to Lena’s neck like she was a freaking vampire. “We’re not doing this in the kitchen. Take me to the room.”</p><p>Kara pulled away with a hard swallow, blue eyes searching for hers, clearly losing some of her bravado at the prospect of moving things to somewhere else. It did nothing to help her growing libido to subdue and she found herself squirming in place, trying to find some kind of relief to the throbbing ache between her legs. She had no idea what got Kara acting like that suddenly, and she would like to know for future knowledge, but she was also not going to question it too much.</p><p>She would, instead, enjoy it.</p><p>Lena gently pushed her away while linking their fingers together to pull the blonde behind her. The traditional Guinness pie would have to wait. Maybe some other day.</p><p>She waited until they were both up the stairs, walking towards the room, to turn around and thread her fingers through Kara’s blonde hair, drawing her downwards to give her a bruising kiss. Kara quickly pushed her against the closest wall, one hand digging on her hip and the other one supporting her weight on the wall as she returned the kiss just as hungrily.</p><p>“Bed,” Lena reminded her when the hand on her hip started to rise again.</p><p>“You started it,” Kara whispered.</p><p>“Not that I haven’t thought about you taking me against a wall,” Lena pulled away before Kara could kiss her again and raised one eyebrow, “because I have, but I need a bed right now.”</p><p>“You thought about...?”</p><p>Chuckling, the brunette tilted her head to nibble at Kara’s jaw. “Many times.”</p><p>Kara pushed herself away from the wall, bringing Lena with her, and started walking towards the bedroom again. Lena walked backward willingly, although almost tripping over herself in her haste to get to bed. Her hands lowered to grab the hem of the hero’s pants before she gave it a hard tug. The sweatpants fell just a few inches but Lena took advantage of the space to slid her hands to grab Kara’s butt.</p><p>She moaned when she felt the hard muscles against her palms and she ignored the smirk Kara threw her way. Instead, she raised her eyebrow again, challenging her to do something, and Kara’s competitive side made an appearance when she cupped the brunette’s breast again, her fingers skimming over her jumper.</p><p>Lena whimpered and her back finally touched the bedroom door. Oh, finally. And then, suddenly, she was being pushed on the bed with a surprised yelp. She glared at Kara when her back hit the mattress, but the blonde only wiggled her eyebrows at her while kicking her pants off. The blonde then moved to undo the button on Lena’s jeans before pulling them down all the way. She tossed them to the floor to join hers.</p><p>“Those jeans...” She shook her head and tilted her head while lying down on top of her. “Rao, I wasn’t expecting it.”</p><p>“You weren’t expecting me to wear jeans?” Lena asked with a huffed laugh. The blonde shook her head, spreading kisses all over Lena’s stomach while she pushed her jumper up. “You’ve seen me wearing jeans before, Kara.”</p><p>“Yes,” the blonde sighed when she reached Lena’s breasts. The younger woman wasn’t wearing a bra and she quickly wrapped her lips around a hard nipple. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to hold myself back all those times?”</p><p>Lena was acutely aware of her warm center pressed against Kara’s stomach and, together with the wet lips against her skin, the feeling was too good to ignore. She moaned hoarsely as she started a slow grind against the hard muscles, her fingers tangling into blonde hair.</p><p>Kara managed to pull her jumper up her arms without moving away a few seconds later and the blonde moved to give the other nipple the same attention. Out of breath, Lena wrapped her legs around the woman’s waist, her heels digging into her backside, and one of her hands suddenly clawed at Kara’s shoulder blade.</p><p>“Kara,” Lena said between a gasp and a whimper. “I need you. Touch me, please.”</p><p>The blonde waited a second that felt like an entire decade, before she slid from the bed until she was on her knees, pulling Lena closer by her hips, and trailing kisses at random spots on the woman’s thighs. She had done this before, she was confident she could do it again.</p><p>Lena didn’t even feel her panties being taken off, but she definitely felt when Kara’s mouth finally touched her where she needed the most. Kara made her feel like the best meal she ever had while lapping, tracing and circling through her folds, sucking at her hard nub a few times, and drawing moans out of her almost embarrassingly loud.</p><p>Lena took a grip on the sheets, her knuckles most certainly turning white, and she moved her legs until she had one foot pressed on the mattress and one leg thrown on Kara’s shoulder. She could feel herself throb and clench, and she needed more.</p><p>“Inside,” she panted, completely out of breath. “I need...”</p><p>Luckily for her, Kara didn’t need her to finish the sentence to understand what she was asking for. Moving her mouth up to suck that sweet spot of hers, the blonde brought two fingers up and then eased them gently inside her. Lena’s back arched off the mattress as she tried to get Kara’s fingers to sink even further, her moans getting louder and louder.</p><p>“Like that?” Kara asked and she sounded a bit unsure about herself, so Lena decided she needed to ease her mind.</p><p>She untangled one hand from the sheets to wrap her fingers around blonde locks to urge Kara back up and on top of her. The blonde obliged almost eagerly and, as soon as she was close enough, Lena was kissing her again. Intense as the ones before it, this kiss made Lena tingle from head to toe, and she had to break it before she came too soon. Kara was fast to move her lips to her throat instead while still being knuckle-deep inside her.</p><p>“Move,” Lena almost begged. She rolled her hips, trying to urge the hero to do what she so desperately needed.</p><p>And then Kara did something that had Lena’s soul leaving her body altogether. Using the pad of her thumb, she started to rub tight circles around her nub at the same time her digits curled inside her and the sound that left her was borderline pornographic. That seemed to trigger something inside Kara because her next thrust was harder, and the next one after that came faster. Lena felt herself moving against the mattress with the force of it and she moved her hands to grip on Kara’s shoulders, her hips buckling down to meet her moves.</p><p>She came embarrassedly quick after that, the knot inside her unties, her toes curled, and she cried loudly, shuddering and drenching Kara’s hand. The blonde stopped the attack against her neck, resting her forehead against Lena’s chest for a second before she raised her head to lock eyes with the younger woman. She had a smirk that made Lena quiver again and the brunette tugged her closer to share a tender kiss as she felt the two fingers leaving her empty again.</p><p>Even so, it was so incredible that it left her speechless, <strike>a</strike> complete mush under Kara, feeling the last waves of the tsunami that hit her. The pleasure running up and down her spine didn’t wane off and Lena knows herself enough to understand her body wanted another round, that it still needed some relief, but she forced herself to just enjoy the moment and kiss Kara with all she got.</p><p>“You’re so beautiful, Lena,” Kara mumbled against her lips, and the younger woman whimpered again when the blonde ground her hips down.</p><p>Lena was still thinking about her soft words, trying to make her heart fit inside her chest still, when Kara started kissing her way down her body once more. And, okay, she definitely knew more than she was saying, Lena thought to herself as she watched Kara burying her face between her legs to suck her clit like that’s the last task she must achieve in her life. Neck aching for being propped up for so long, Lena could only watch in awe as the blonde shoved a hand inside her own boxer briefs – and who allowed Kara to wear briefs? She looked sinfully sexy wearing that and how was Lena supposed to let her out of bed now?</p><p>With a loud groan, Lena placed both hands on her face as her head fell back against the bed. She wasn’t sure if that was her attempt to muffle her moans or if it was sheer frustration for not being able to touch Kara, but that hardly occupied her mind for much longer. It didn’t take long before she came again with Kara moaning almost as loudly as she did.</p><p>Before she could think too much about it, or let Kara think too much about it, Lena sat up on the bed, obliging Kara to move away so she wouldn’t bump her. Taking her by surprise, Lena put one hand on the back of the blonde’s neck to pull her for another heated kiss as she started to turn them over. Once she got Kara on her back, she started to trail kisses down her neck to suck at her pulse point.</p><p>“I want to taste you,” she murmured against the heated skin.</p><p>“Lena...”</p><p>“Please, Kara.” Lena could hear the hesitation in the blonde’s voice even before she was done with her reply and she knew she had to fight for what she wanted.</p><p>Not that she would mind. She always enjoyed a challenge, after all.</p><p>“I don’t want your head where I can...” Kara paused, sucked a sharp breath, and shivered – Lena had just bit a spot just above her chest. “... hurt you.”</p><p>Well, to be fair, she chose her words carefully even in the state she found herself in, Lena would acknowledge that, at least. Because Kara could do more than just <em>hurt </em>her if she closed her legs too hard, but Lena appreciated the softer way to say it. Using the other word would probably kill the mood. Oh, there goes the word...</p><p>She wasn’t about to give up completely, though.</p><p>Cupping a soft boob covered by a black lace bra, Lena tried other tactics. “Let me touch you, then. You didn’t hurt me that time, you’re not going to hurt me now.”</p><p>“That might have been luck.”</p><p>Lena almost chuckled at that. “I will take the risk any day.” Then, she slid back up so she could look at Kara’s face, offering her a gentle smile. “If I break my hand, I will gladly tell everyone how that happened.”</p><p>“Lena!” The blonde gasped, her blue eyes going wide in shock.</p><p>The younger woman laughed and pecked the pink lips. “You don’t have to, of course, but I would like to make you come.”</p><p>As expected, Kara’s chest, neck, cheeks and ears acquired a dark red color and she bit her bottom lip quite hard. Lena waited patiently, although squirming a little, and almost sighed in relief when the hero nodded twice. More than eager to get started, Lena moved her body so she could slip an arm between them. She would like to kiss every inch of Kara’s body, to suck a mark inside her thigh, to skim her teeth against a hipbone, but she would be glad about whatever she was allowed to do.</p><p>So, she slipped her hand inside the black briefs to find a river between tender folds. Kara rocked her hips against her, desperately looking for friction or any type of relief she might offer, and Lena didn’t waste time before guiding her fingers inside. And, admittedly, she never wanted to move. Ever again.</p><p>She kept her eyes focused on Kara’s face – looking, searching, studying, learning – as she used her hips to grind her palm against the hero’s hard nub, but she kept curling and probing her fingers in search for something she didn’t even know she would be able to find. Lena was never one to give up on her first fail, though, so she kept touching around, using her fingertips, until she finally pressed against a spongy spot that made Kara’s hips rock high.</p><p>With a smug look on her face, Lena put all her weight on her free arm and lowered her head to kiss Kara’s chest as she started to fuck her in all earnest. She had to use her chin to move Kara’s bra out of the way and she almost cursed herself for forgetting to pull it away before, but it hardly mattered when she wrapped her lips around a deliciously pink nipple to suck at it hard enough to know that, if that was her nipple, it would leave a nasty bruise.</p><p>And then Kara was coming with a surprised cry, like not even she could believe the pleasure that ran down her body. Well, Lena was authorized to act smug now, for sure.</p><p>This time, the sheets didn’t survive the force of Kara’s peak, Lena soon realized when she pulled away to look at the blonde. Her hands had completely ripped the thin sheet apart, her eyes were closed tightly together, her mouth was open in a perfect ‘o’ shape and her chest was going up and down faster than any human would have been able to breathe.</p><p>“You good?” Lena asked while bending down to kiss her shoulder.</p><p>Kara nodded, cracked one eye open, closed it again and groaned. Lena chuckled as she slowly removed her fingers and she didn’t have to think twice about her next move. She quickly shoved both of her fingers inside her mouth, twisting her tongue around them to clean the digits, before a whimpered moan escaped her throat. Kara tasted so sweet, she wasn’t expecting that, but, damn, she was immediately addicted.</p><p>“Rao, Lena,” Kara breathed out and Lena opened her eyes to see that the woman was staring at her with wide eyes. “You’re going to be the death of me one of these days.”</p><p>Lena winked at her, lips curling into a smirk, and gave her a peck. “Should we take a shower?”</p><p>“I don’t think I can walk right now.”</p><p>The brunette chuckled happily. “Did we figure out the nipple thing?”</p><p>“Shut up,” Kara groaned, rolled her eyes and then rolled from under Lena to escape the woman’s laughs. “I will take a shower without you.”</p><p>Lena quickly moved so she was kneeling on the bed beside Kara, who had sat down with her feet touching the ground, and pulled the woman to flush against her naked front, curling her arms around her neck and spreading kisses all over her shoulder. “Are you sure? I also imagined you taking me in the shower a couple of times.”</p><p>“Just a couple of times?” Kara wondered, her voice suddenly hoarse.</p><p>“That I thought about it or that I would let you fuck me there?”</p><p>Kara wailed dramatically as she threw her head back against Lena’s shoulder to look up at the ceiling. “You’re going to kill me, woman.”</p><p>“I think you can handle it,” Lena nibbled at her earlobe and smiled to herself when she noticed the woman shivering. “So, what do you say? I’m invited to the shower again?”</p><p>The blonde didn’t give her time to reply. Before Lena even knew what was going on, she had her legs wrapped around Kara’s waist while the blonde walked them to the bathroom. Lena hid her face in the crook of the hero’s neck, laughing freely and feeling like she was the luckiest woman who ever walked on Earth. Any planet even.</p><p>They visited the Salthill Beaches the next day. It was too cold for a swim, not that Lena would ever set foot in the ocean, so they spent most of their day walking around, exploring places, entering pubs and cafes, and just being sickly happy all day. Lena finished that Guinness pie for dinner and they ate while teaching Liam random words.</p><p>“Tea.”</p><p>“My son’s first word isn’t going to be tea,” Lena replied with an eye roll.</p><p>“Oh, that’s what we’re going for?” Kara shot back with an unimpressed look. “I thought we were just saying words with no context.”</p><p>Lena huffed, knowing that Kara was just messing with her, before she thought about another word to say. “Boron.”</p><p>“Boron?” Kara asked with both eyebrows raised and fork froze halfway to her mouth. “You want Liam’s first word to be boron?”</p><p>The younger woman shrugged. “It’s a chemical element. He’s going to be a scientist, so we have to start early.”</p><p>“First of all,” the blonde snorted as she put her fork down, “sulfur is a way more badass word for him to say. And, second, he’s not going to be a scientist. He’s going to be a guardian, like his name says.”</p><p>Lena shot her a glare. “You’re not making our son work with you.”</p><p>Kara chuckled. “You’re the one who named him ‘little guardian’.”</p><p>“My name means luminous and my shining personality clearly proves it.”</p><p>The blonde laughed more loudly this time, shaking her head afterward when she looked back at Lena with a lazy smile. “What other words could be his first one?”</p><p>“Zinc,” Lena declared without missing a beat. “Or Mozart.”</p><p>Kara scoffed. “Yeah, no way. You can teach the second one to like those boring songs. Liam will like my songs and his first word will be ‘good taste’.”</p><p>Lena had paused after Kara mentioned a ‘second one’ and Kara took advantage of that to start eating again. “That’s two words,” she said distractedly as her brows furrowed deeply and her heart started to beat faster. The blonde only shrugged and went back to eating her food, leaving Lena to deal with the turmoil of thoughts inside her mind alone. It took her the good part of a minute before she was able to talk again. “You want... like, more kids?”</p><p>Kara looked back at her while choking on her pie and she started a coughing fit that could have been comical if it wasn’t for Lena’s nerves. “Lena,” she breathlessly started, “I don’t know how to answer that.”</p><p>Lena blinked. “You just said that I could teach the second one to like classic music.”</p><p>“Oh,” Kara shook her head. “I didn’t realize I said that. I’m sorry if that freaked you out or something.”</p><p>“So... You don’t want more kids?”</p><p>“Love, I never thought I would have <em>one </em>kid, let alone more than one. I haven’t thought about it.” The blonde sighed. “On Krypton, some couples didn’t even have babies. We would get babies as we would end up needing people to fulfill some tasks.” Kara put her fork down and reached out to hold Lena’s hand, gently playing with her fingers as she tried to find the right words. “I lost everything the day my planet exploded. All I have left from Krypton is Kal and a few memories back at the Fortress of Solitude. If I could, if I knew how, I would fill the Universe with Kryptonians again. I can’t do that and that’s something I had to learn to live with. Kal will become a father soon, his son will be half Kryptonian, his grandchildren will be a quarter Kryptonian, and, one day down the line, it will just not exist anymore. Our race is already fated to die. As I said, I never thought I would have kids of my own and, even though Liam is not actually mine, I feel like he is. I’m glad about what I have now. But if someday down the line we feel like expanding our family, I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea.”</p><p>Then, Kara paused, her lips curled and she tilted her head to the side. “Although, we’ve barely been dating for a month, so maybe we should save this conversation for the future.”</p><p>“When did we ever take things slow?” Lena replied with a soft smile and a gentle squeeze in Kara’s hand.</p><p>The blonde chuckled and nodded. “True.”</p><p>“How many kids you would like to have?” The younger woman asked after they resumed eating.</p><p>“At least two more,” Kara mumbled around a bite of the pie. “We can’t have an even number. Someone has to break the tie when we’re voting what to get for dinner.”</p><p>Lena shook her head fondly. “I don’t think I will want more kids. I don’t know.”</p><p>“Well, it’s not it’s going to happen without any planning, you know,” Kara pointed with a shrug. “If we ever decided to do it, we will be 100% sure of what we want.”</p><p>“You’re right.” Lena sighed and pushed her plate away. “How do you feel about dating a woman who wants to talk about kids a month after we started dating?” she teased.</p><p>Kara didn’t look away from her pie when she answered, albeit Lena could hear the smile in her voice perfectly clear. “Pretty good. A bit terrified, of course, but I’m already tangled around her son’s little finger, so I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that much.”</p><p>“His little finger, huh? Well, I remember when you were wrapped around <em>my</em> very long fingers, so...”</p><p>Kara choked on her next bite of pie, coughing violently and reached out to take a large sip of her water. Lena tried to hide her satisfied smile behind the rim of her glass but didn’t succeed, if Kara’s glare was any indication. After she could breathe normally again, the hero shook her head exasperatedly.</p><p>Of course, later that night, she wasn’t complaining about Lena’s smugness any longer.</p><p>The next three days were split between cozy days inside and small walks around touristic points that Lena wanted to show to her girlfriend, until, on the last day they were spending there, Lena took her back to Salthill Beaches for their last picnic enjoying the beautiful country. They would take their flight back very early the next morning to make their way back to reality, but feeling much lighter and happier than when they left.</p><p>After watching Kara playing with Liam lying beside him on the blanket for a while, Lena finally pulled a small red velvet bag from inside her purse. It had a thin rope keeping it closed and she eyed it for a few seconds before clearing her throat to get Kara’s attention. The blonde looked at her with a huge smile and bright, expectant blue eyes, and Lena felt her nerves subside at the same time they peaked.</p><p>“I, uh, I got you something,” she said, very aware of how uncharacteristically nervous she sounded. “It’s a gift to say thank you, to celebrate our first month together, to acknowledge all the effort you have dedicated to me and my son, and, well, just because I wanted to give you something, I guess.”</p><p>“Lena,” Kara breathed as she sat straight on the blanket, folding her legs beneath her and tilting her head to look at the other woman. “You didn’t have to give me anything.”</p><p>“I know,” Lena smiled. “I wanted to, though.” She glanced at the velvet bag and sighed. “We have a tradition in Ireland. It’s the Claddagh ring. The ring surged in the 17th century. The most accepted history surrounding the ring is that a man named Richard Joyce was captured and enslaved, leaving behind the woman he loved. While in captivity, he designed a ring that would symbolize his love and, after he was released, fourteen years later, he brought the ring with him when he returned to Galway. He gave the woman the ring, they got married, had kids and the ring became quite popular.” Lena handed the blonde the small bag, watching as Kara gently took it in her hand like it was made of glass and she would break if she breathed too hard. “It represents love, loyalty and friendship. The original ring had a heart, representing love, being held by two hands, representing friendship, adorned by a crown, representing loyalty. It’s a big thing in Ireland, but it’s even bigger here in Galway and I couldn’t let you leave without getting one.”</p><p>She watched as Kara opened the bag and peeked inside, and noticed as a crinkle appeared between her brows. Chuckling, Lena picked the bag again and turned it over so the content would fall on her palm. As she did, a beautiful silver bracelet fell. Adorned with crystals, the double chains held a Claddagh pendant, the hands holding a heart holding a crown. She had tricked Kara the other day saying she was trying to find a bathroom to change Liam when she was, in fact, quickly running to the best jewelry shop she knew to get the gift she had ordered while they were still in National City.</p><p>And now that she was looking at it again, she had to admit she made a wonderful choice. She just hoped Kara would feel the same way.</p><p>“I didn’t want to give you a ring,” Lena explained. “I know we came a long way already and, as we said numerous times, we’re cutting the way a bit shorter, but it sounded a bit rushed to give you a ring. People would probably assume it was a very weird engagement ring and we can both agree that it <em>is</em> too early for that. So, I got you a bracelet instead. It holds the same meaning, love, loyalty and friendship, but you put it on your wrist.” She chuckled at her poor explanation of a bracelet – because it was obvious where you would wear it – and shook her head. “Anyway, it can be easily hidden with your suit also, so that’s a bonus.”</p><p>Lena stopped talking before she could keep rambling. She opened the clasp of the bracelet and motioned for Kara to reach her arm so she could put it on for her. When the blonde didn’t move right away, she looked up with the start of panic lingering in the back of her mind. It only got worse when she noticed that the blonde had tears in her eyes and her pink lips were trembling.</p><p>“Kara?”</p><p>The hero shook her head and ducked her head, but refused to explain to her what she was feeling. Lena quickly scooted closer so she could cup Kara’s face, trying to coax the woman to look at her, but the blonde also refused to do that. Lena decided then to press her forehead against the blonde’s temple and closed her eyes.</p><p>“Talk to me, please.”</p><p>“It’s beautiful,” Kara mumbled and Lena noticed with startling surprise that she was silently crying.</p><p>She had never seen Kara crying before and that certainly didn’t help ease her worries. “You don’t have to wear it.”</p><p>“No! No! It’s not that!” Kara shook her head and gulped. “I’m just... overwhelmed, I guess. I wasn’t... I wasn’t expecting that. And I... well, I got a little emotional.”</p><p>Lena chuckled lowly from the back of her throat as she leaned to kiss her cheek. “That’s okay, darling.”</p><p>“It’s really beautiful, though.”</p><p>The brunette nodded distractedly when she looked back at the bracelet clutched in her hand. “You can say no, I won’t be mad or sad.”</p><p>“Please, Lena,” Kara sighed and raised her head so they were finally staring at each other’s eyes again. Lena could see a million emotions dancing around in the blue orbs, but she could also see honesty burning bright. “I loved it. Thank you so much.”</p><p>With a smile, Lena raised the bracelet again and, this time, Kara also brought her arm up so Lena could curl the silver chains around her wrist. Once it was in place, Lena bent down and kissed the pendant hanging on the blonde’s wrist before kissing pink lips. Kara smiled after they parted, letting their foreheads resting together, and closed her eyes.</p><p>“I feel a little bad. I have nothing for you.”</p><p>Lena brought the hand that she was still holding to press a warm palm against her chest, right in the middle where her heart was beating rhythmically. “You already gave me so much, Kara.”</p><p>“I love you,” the blonde whispered.</p><p>Lena smiled. “I love you too.”</p><p>They heard an impatient wailing next and chuckled when they looked down at Liam, who was trying to reach his white puppy. Leaning over to grab it for him, Kara shook her head fondly. “We love you too, LK, don’t worry.”</p><p>They ran a little late the next morning, oversleeping after a long night being tangled naked around each other. Kara stayed too long in the shower because she was feeling lazy and Lena was glaring at her when she left.</p><p>“Can I brush my teeth now?” she asked rhetorically while walking past Kara.</p><p>The blonde almost chuckled while putting her comfortable pants on. “Did you know that brushing your teeth is the only time you can clean your skeleton?”</p><p>There was a pause where the other woman said nothing for several seconds, before Kara heard a sigh. “Damn, that’s right,” Lena whispered to herself but Kara, with her super hearing, clearly heard as well.</p><p>Laughing and shaking her head, Kara made a mental note to say that to Ruby the next time she saw the girl, before she started rushing around to get everything ready to leave.</p><p>They were already inside the plane, both feeling a little down for leaving the small paradise they had found and the peace they created together, when Kara’s phone rang with a new message. It was from Alex and she felt her heart beat spike the second her brain registered the words.</p><p>
  <em>“We found them.”</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Lena: I have a present for you.<br/>Kara: Oh, Lena, you didn't have to.<br/>Lena: I know, but I wanted to.<br/>Kara: But you really didn't have to.<br/>Lena: Yes, but I wanted to give you something.<br/>Kara: But there's no need for that.<br/>Lena: But I wanted to.<br/>Kara: You already gave me so much!<br/>Lena: That's great, but I already bought it and...<br/>Kara: So, really, there's no need!<br/>Lena: I got it, but I'm literally holding it out for you, so maybe you can pick it up and accept it already.<br/>Kara: I couldn't! You really, really, didn't have to.<br/>Lena: Oh, for Christ's sake!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. The end for them</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So... I will be ending this fanfic with 30 chapters. Just to give you all a heads-up!</p><p>To my helper, as per usual, not surprisingly, you're the best &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first thing Kara saw when she stepped out of the plane was Alex, J'onn and Kal standing beside the landing track. Alex and J'onn were both wearing sunglasses, black jackets and flashing the guns and fake FBI badges, while Kal stood there with his Superman suit and his signature pose. Behind them, Kara saw a black car with the doors open, as though they had just stepped out of it, and another car, a smaller one where she saw Agent Vasquez leaning against the driver's door.</p><p>And, of course, Lena noticed all of that when she stepped behind Kara too.</p><p>"What's going on?" Her voice was tense and Kara didn’t need to turn around to know she was frowning.</p><p>Throwing a quick glance at Alex, as if telling her that she would handle it, and trusting her sister not to interrupt, Kara turned around with an apologetic smile and already raising her hands in defense. Lena clutched Liam's carrier close to her and looked at the blonde with narrowed, confused eyes.</p><p>"They found Lex and Lillian," she explained gently.</p><p>The change in the shorter woman was visible. Her back tensed, her shoulders squared, her jaw clenched and her green eyes became harder. She quickly glanced at the other agents and the cars, before going back to Kara. "Since when do you know that?"</p><p>Kara sighed. "Since we entered the plane."</p><p>"And you didn’t think you should share the news?" Lena's anger was rising, it was clear.<strike></strike></p><p>"We still had a six hour flight," the hero declared gently. "I didn't want you to be worried."</p><p>"Didn’t want me to be worried or were making plans behind my back?" Lena's accusation was sharp and clear. "What are they doing here?"</p><p>Kara tried to ignore everyone around them, or the fact that they were still in the middle of an airport landing track, choosing to give Lena all her attention in a desperate manner to get her to understand. "Agent Vasquez will drive you home and she will stay there to make sure you're safe."</p><p>"Why can't you do that?"</p><p>Lena knew. She was a brilliant woman and she knew why, there was no reason for her to be confused about what was going on, but Kara could see why she would try to deny the reality. They spent a perfectly romantic week away from all problems and avoiding trouble, and, as soon as they set foot back in National City, she was being whisked back to it again. Kara just hoped Agent Vasquez would be able to protect her while she went out to handle things.</p><p>"Because I'm going with Kal and some other agents after them."</p><p>There was a pause in which they just stared at each other, neither willing to back away from the discussion that was turning the corner. Kara could relent in many things, but not when it comes to protecting her family. She had lost too much already, too many people in her life, and she would never risk going through that pain again. While Lex was walking around, she would never be able to let it go and she would always, always, be looking over her shoulder, waiting for him to make his next move. It would drive her crazy one day or she would fail and he would get what he wanted.</p><p>Lena also couldn't let it go, but for different reasons. "Why? Why do <em>you </em>have to go?"</p><p>"Why shouldn't I go?" Kara replied with her eyebrows raised. "Kal is going to risk his life. So will Alex, and J'onn, and Maggie, and every other agent involved in this. Why shouldn't I go?"</p><p>"Because you know Lex will be looking out for you," Lena shot back, her voice rising just a bit, making her fear known. "Now he knows what you mean to me, you escaped him, he won't let you get away with this. It's dangerous, you know it."</p><p>"Lex tried to kill Kal in the past, I think that is also very personal," the blonde sighed and fiddled with her glasses in an attempt to calm down. "I’m doing this, Lena. Vasquez will take you home."<strike></strike></p><p>"You don't owe me anything," Lena said before she could turn around. Their eyes locked between the short distance they had kept from each other and Kara could almost feel the fury brought up by the fear. "You don't have to do it because of what he did to me. In the past, or the last time he saw me, or ever."</p><p>Kara softened her features a bit, knowing that the younger woman was just scared that something bad would happen, and she had to dig her heels in the ground to stop herself from walking forward to wrap her in a hug. She could feel the other people's eyes burning on the back of her head, begging her to go faster before they lost the trail they had, and she tried to speed up.</p><p>"Lena, if I don't do this and something bad happens, I will never forgive myself. If Kal and I go together, the chances will be much higher." Kara paused, ducked her head as her hands found her hips, and sighed deeply. "I can't sleep, Lena," she admitted. "I haven't been able to sleep since they escaped and I won’t be able to do it until I'm sure they're gone for good." Then, realizing how that sounded, Kara raised one finger and grimaced. "I didn’t mean to make it sound like I was going to kill them. I will just... you know, lock them away."</p><p>Lena just shook her head, her eyes shining with tears as she took a step back as though Kara had slapped her. Inside his carrier, Liam must have realized something was going on, or he noticed the weird mood around him, because he started fussing and wailing. "My mother tried to kill you before, my brother was going to kill you last time, he was going to make <em>me</em> do it. You don't have to go. You can take me home, and we will watch a movie together and talk about Liam's first words."</p><p>Shaking her head sadly, Kara finally approached the brunette to press a firm kiss on her forehead. "I can't."</p><p>"If you go, I'm breaking up with you," Lena desperately said, one hand clutching around Kara's shirt.</p><p>"If this is something I can do to keep you and Liam safe, I will still do it," the taller woman whispered against Lena's skin before she took a step back. She felt like her heart was being ripped in two, but she had to get moving. Maggie was keeping watch on them but they couldn't know how long the Luthors would stay in the place they were. "I love you, okay?"</p><p>Lena didn’t let her go, though. Now full-on crying, the woman tried to pull her close again. "I didn't mean it," she mumbled. "I love you too."</p><p>Despite the situation, Kara chuckled. Yes, she knew Lena wasn't being serious with the threat, but it still felt good to be sure. She tilted her head to kiss the brunette's cheek before slipping away from her grasp. "Don't be afraid. I will be back before you notice I'm gone." She tried to offer Lena a reassuring smile as she started to walk backward. Behind her, she heard the car's doors closing.</p><p>"I will be so mad at you."</p><p>Nodding, Kara tried to look nonchalant about it. "Sam will keep you company until I'm back."</p><p>And then, before she could take another look at a crying Lena or hear Liam's wails, Kara slipped inside the big, black car and closed her eyes. They needed to go to the DEO to grab her suit since she hadn’t brought it to her trip, and then they would meet Maggie in the place they firmly believed Lex and Lillian were hiding at. Alex sat on the driver's seat while J'onn sat beside her. Kal didn't follow them and she opened her eyes to see as he stayed behind when Alex started driving away.</p><p>"He will fly above the other car to Lena's apartment," Alex explained. "Just to be sure. The press got a hold that Lena would be back in town. He will meet us there."</p><p>Kara nodded distractedly, her eyes watching the city passing by without actually seeing it. She was confident the plan would work, but she was still nervous about it. A lot of people would be involved, including Kal, who had a very long history with the oldest Luthor man left and who had a pregnant wife waiting for him at home, and Kara couldn’t help but worry. Lena was right about something: her family had almost successfully killed them in the past and they apparently had no problem walking over whoever got in their way.</p><p>Kara could understand Lena's need to keep her close and in eyesight. She would like to do the same, to know everything was fine and to make sure their safety was guaranteed. She would do the same with Alex, she had to admit. Her sister would not leave her side unless it was impossible to keep going like that, and she was sure Alex was thinking the same thing.</p><p>That didn't mean she would stay behind and let other people risk their lives when she could - faster and safer - do it instead.</p><p>Her eyes fell to the bracelet around her right wrist and she felt her heart tripping over itself. Lena couldn’t know, she hadn’t told her anything about Krypton’s customs and culture other than to tell her they didn’t do relationships like Earth did, so, of course, Lena wouldn’t be able to know what she was doing when she gave her that bracelet. Ironic to think about how the younger woman didn’t give her a ring to avoid the exact thing that ended up happening.</p><p>Shaking her head to clean her head from thoughts that didn’t involve the mission ahead of them, Kara leaned over so her face was pushed between the car seats in front of her. “Wouldn’t it be safer if we brought them to the DEO? No one can invade it.”</p><p>“We thought about it, but we have no intention of letting them escape,” J’onn declared. “We will go in and arrest them before they can even think about getting to anyone else.”</p><p>Kara nodded, although she wasn’t so sure about that. She would have taken that precaution as well, just to guarantee her family would be safe, no matter what. Even so, she let it go, trusting that J’onn wouldn’t be doing that if he wasn’t sure it would work.</p><p>They arrived at the DEO headquarters just a few minutes later and Kara quickly sped to get her suit. Alex rushed inside with her to collect some other weapons and she was just pushing a gun inside a holster when her eyes found the double silver chain around her wrist.</p><p>“What the fuck?” Alex asked, almost dropping everything she had in hands in her haste to get to Kara. She lifted the blonde’s wrist so she could take a better look at the chain, her eyebrows raising high, and gaped like a fish out of water.</p><p>And Kara regrets a little bit telling her about how things worked in Krypton.</p><p>“It’s not what you think,” the hero sighed, shoving her cape away from her ankles so she could start walking back to where everybody else was. “She doesn’t know what it means.”</p><p>“Didn’t you tell her?” Alex started following her back, to which she was grateful because she didn’t want to look at her sister’s face to have that conversation.</p><p>“How could I say anything?” Kara waved her hands around. “She told me she didn’t get me a ring because it’s too soon for <em>that</em>. I couldn’t tell her that the ring would mean less for me than the bracelet does.”</p><p>They turned a corner and saw J’onn speaking on his phone. Kara was also grateful that Kal wasn’t around to listen to their conversation. Her cousin might not be as attached to Krypton’s customs as she was, but that was a thing he wouldn’t let go of that easily. Because, by giving her a bracelet and putting it around her wrist, Lena essentially proposed to her. Well, using Krypton's words, she had offered to join their houses. By accepting the bracelet and letting Lena put it around her wrist, Kara accepted the offer. For the matter of formalities, they would have a small ceremony because Kara belonged to a big, important family, but they were pretty much committed already.</p><p>Back in Krypton, after you accepted a proposal to join houses, there was no changing your mind. It was usually made after a lot of thought and negotiation, so no one would ever step back and go “my bad, but no thank you”. Lena didn’t know all of that and Kara had failed to explain it to her before accepting the bracelet. She could say she panicked a little bit, and that her feelings got the best of her, and Lena was looking at her with wide, expectant green eyes, that she just couldn’t bring herself to break the bubble she had created around giving Kara such a nice gift.</p><p>A nice and simple gift on Earth, Kara had to remind herself. As she had said many times before, things on Earth and Krypton worked very differently, and that was just one of those things. On Earth, you date for a while, you offer a ring, you get engaged and then you get married. A ring, not a bracelet.</p><p>Perhaps she shouldn’t be wearing the silver chain, though. It meant something for her, something different than what it meant for Lena, and it wasn’t fair of her to wear it.</p><p>“I can see this is bothering you,” Alex commented after a silent break. “You should tell her, you know. I’m not saying this as a bad thing. Maybe you can use it as an excuse to tell her more about Krypton. But you should let her know. You can’t spend the rest of your life receiving bracelets from her as a gift and wishing it means something else.”</p><p>Well, Kara always hated when Alex was right about things.</p><p>“I will,” she said in a sad tone. “After we’re done here.”</p><p>They stopped beside the car that would take Alex, J’onn and two other agents, and her sister sighed as she turned around to face her. Kara crossed her arms to stare back at her, ready for a discussion, but all Alex did was drop her shoulders and reach out to grab Kara’s hand. Once the hero allowed her to pull her hand away, the redhead pulled the sleeve of her suit up, pushed the bracelet back and then pulled the sleeve down again, making sure to cover the double silver chains.</p><p>“You will cry if it gets ruined,” was the only explanation she gave before climbing on the driver’s seat. Inside the car, Alex threw her a small smile and tilted her head. “See you there.”</p><p>“See you,” Kara mumbled, suddenly feeling her throat closing around the words and her eyes pricking with tears. Alex could infuriate her as much as she wanted, but she was so thankful for having her as a sister.</p><p>Kara waited until the three cars transporting armed agents left the DEO’s garage before taking off. With her super speed and her vast knowledge of the town, she had no trouble finding the ridiculously large house they had said the Luthors on the run were hiding. She also had no problem finding Kal, hovering above the place. Her cousin smiled when he spotted her joining his side.</p><p>“How was your trip?”</p><p>Kara almost laughed at the absurdity of his question considering the moment they found themselves in, but she understood he was only trying to distract her until the rest of the mission folks arrived. “It was good. We ate fish and chips, Guinness pie and stew.”</p><p>Kal hummed in appreciation – the only one around who could ever understand her love for food, probably. “Did you try the Guinness beer?”</p><p>Kara grimaced. “Don’t ever try it. It’s disgusting.”</p><p>Her cousin laughed again and the conversation slowly died as the atmosphere around them became more somber. Kara could hear several heartbeats inside the house they were flying above and she wondered how hard it would be to get inside and get things working the way they expected. She also saw Maggie in a car down the road, patiently waiting with two of her own agents standing further away.</p><p>“Do you think they’re both in there?”</p><p>Kal shrugged. “Detective Sawyer saw Lillian arriving a few hours ago and Lex hadn’t left in a few days, according to our sources.”</p><p>Kara nodded and pointed at where Maggie was standing. Kal understood and also nodded, so the blonde gave a sharp turn to get to where the shorter brunette was. The detective acknowledged her presence with a sly smirk and raised one eyebrow behind her dark sunglasses.</p><p>“Sup, little Danvers?”</p><p>“How are you holding?”</p><p>Maggie huffed a laugh. “Is this how people speak in Ireland?”</p><p>Rao, she missed Maggie sometimes.</p><p>“I will buy you pizza after we’re done here,” Kara promised. “You know, for the hard work.”</p><p>Before Maggie could reply, they heard cars pulling down the road, parking without much care, and Kara watched as her sister and father figure jumped from one car, leading the wave of agents coming behind them.</p><p>“We will set agents all around the property,” J’onn said as soon as he was close enough to be heard by them. “Every door, every window and every hole must be watched.”</p><p>Maggie nodded in agreement. “Agents Tan and Mahone will follow your lead.”</p><p>J’onn offered her a tight smile before turning around to gather all agents to tell them what his plan was and where they should all go to. Alex stayed behind, clearly already knowing what he was going to say.</p><p>“J’onn, Maggie and I will go in first,” her sister declared. “Maggie and I will go with you through the front door, J’onn will take Clark to the back door.”</p><p>“Why do you have to go in first?”</p><p>“In case they have Kryptonite,” Alex explained with a quick eye-roll.</p><p>“We would have felt it if they had.”</p><p>Her sister raised one eyebrow. “Like you felt that other time? Don’t complain, please. You will get to kick some asses, don’t worry.”</p><p>Five minutes later, Kara found herself standing behind the two women while Alex knocked on the closed front door. The agent didn’t wait for a reply, though. As soon as she was done hitting her fist against the black door, Alex took a step to the side so Maggie could kick the door open. Kara would have been impressed by the shorter woman, if she didn’t feel so damn anxious. At the same time, she heard the back door also being kicked.</p><p>Alex walked inside first, followed by Maggie, and then Kara, the blonde making sure not to lose sight of her sister. Alex had her gun pointed, eyes scanning the room, as she kept walking inside in search of the people they were looking for. They stumbled over a young man who was running towards the door, probably after hearing the loud noise.</p><p>“Lex Luthor,” her sister asked, lowering her gun an inch to look at the man’s face. The man, shaking like a leaf, shook his head as he backed away until he was leaning against a wall. “Lex and Lillian Luthor, where are they?”</p><p>“I-I-I-“ the man stumbled over his words, looking just a second away of pissing himself, but he, thankfully, was interrupted before that could happen.</p><p>“Can you not point your gun at my employees' face?”</p><p>They all turned to see Lillian walking down the large stairs like there was nothing wrong in the world – like someone hadn’t just kicked her door open or that she had armed people all around her. The older woman was wearing a pink three pieces suit and she looked just unaffected by everything as she slowly walked to the first floor.</p><p>“I believe he was going to open the door for you,” the woman continued. “He would have made it on time if you hadn’t kicked my door open. I would love to know what type of judge allowed you to invade my house.”</p><p>Well, that explained where they were, although Kara was sure no one knew Lillian had a house in National City. The blonde took a step closer to have a better look at the house – there was some other staff walking around with wide eyes and she understood where the heartbeats were coming from. Once she was over glancing around, Lillian had also reached the last step and she was smirking at the hero as though she found the whole thing amusing.</p><p>“I was wondering when you would show up, Supergirl,” the woman looked at her up and down. “I knew I couldn’t trust the word of an... insect.”</p><p>Kara took no offense in that. She was aware of the fact that Lillian let her go under the pretense that they would never cross paths again, but she was also aware that there was not a chance in hell that she would just let the woman get away with everything she had done. The insect part also didn’t bother her – she even found it a little funny.</p><p>“Turn around,” Maggie said in an even, strong voice, and Lillian’s eyes snapped at her.</p><p>“You’re mad if you think you will put handcuffs on me.” Lillian didn’t give them any time to argue that before she sighed. “I’m going willingly, although I would have liked another week to fix my schedule.”</p><p>“We will be sure to call you next time,” Alex snarled. The hand holding the gun fell and she approached the woman slowly.</p><p>“Where’s Lex?” Kara asked suddenly.</p><p>“Maybe you really are deaf. This is <em>my</em> house, Supergirl.”</p><p>“We saw Lex here,” Maggie declared.</p><p>With Alex’s hand already around her arm, Lillian rolled her eyes quite dramatically. “Can’t a son visit his mother?”</p><p>Kara’s jaw clenched and her hands closed in fists. A second later, she saw Kal walking towards them, having finished his search around the house and shaking his head. “Where is he?”</p><p>“You can’t possibly expect me to know where my son is,” Lillian mocked.</p><p>The blonde growled, took a step closer and lowered her voice so the other agents and staff couldn’t hear her. “You know that he will go after Lena if given the chance. You saved her once, I know you care. You’re not stupid to think he will just let it go.”</p><p>The older woman looked at her, really looked at her, her gray eyes studying her face, before she pursed her lips, clearly unpleased. “You have your answer then.”</p><p>Kara frowned, confused about what Lillian meant, before it hit her like a brick wall. Eyes going wide, heart sinking to her stomach, and a cold sweat rushing through her body, Kara turned on her heels to look at her cousin. He was already staring at her, also understanding what the woman meant, and he quickly moved to stop her from running away.</p><p>“Kara, we need to stop and think before doing anything.”</p><p>“He’s going after her,” she whispered.</p><p>“Agent Vasquez is with her,” Alex reminded her.</p><p>“She’s only one,” Kara shook her head. “And we don’t know if Lex is alone.” She paused, glanced at her sister, and softened her expression. “Sam went to keep her company. They’re probably there, with Liam and Ruby, and only Vasquez to keep them safe when a psychopath gets there.”</p><p>She saw as Alex snapped her mouth closed and the way her face twisted – a clear sign of her nerves. The agent hesitated for a second, looking around as though she was trying to see an easy way out, before she turned her eyes away. A short nod followed her move.</p><p>“Take Kal with you,” was all she said, but that was all Kara needed anyway.</p><p>Without looking to see if her cousin was going to follow her, Kara took flight. She crossed town in no time, pushing herself to the limit to get to Lena’s building as fast as she could, Kal just behind her. From the distance, she could hear Lena’s heartbeat and how it suddenly sped up.</p><p>“He’s there,” Kara declared without a doubt. “I can hear her heart.”</p><p>“You can hear it?”</p><p>Kara almost huffed in annoyance because that was not the time to talk about that. She decided not to waste time with front doors and elevators, choosing to invade the place through the balcony door. It turned out to be a great idea because, as soon as she was able to see the building, even from miles and miles away, she saw that Lex had Lena cornered against the grid, his face red and just a few inches away from hers while he screamed at her.</p><p>“I gave you everything and you betrayed me!” Lex yelled, his hand dangerously waving around too close to Lena. “I gave you a chance to make a difference and you fucked me up!”</p><p>Kara forced herself to go faster at the same time she saw Lena taking another step back to get away from her brother. The woman’s back touched the grid, leaving her no space to move anymore, and then she was forced to lean away when Lex also stepped forward.</p><p>“Father brought you to our family and you wasted it. You will pay for your betrayal!”</p><p>His hand reached out towards his sister and Kara was suddenly pulled to her nightmares, where Lex was doing the exact same thing while trying to get to Liam, and she gasped loudly when she realized she wouldn’t be fast enough to stop him before he touched her. Lena didn’t allow him to do it, though. She leaned away again, before his hand brushed her shoulder and took her balance away. Kara watched in horror when Lena fell backward over the railing, her arms waving around in panic as she tried to hold onto something to stop her fall, only to find only air. Lex, standing in front of her, did nothing to stop it either, only watching as his half-sister fell to her imminent death.</p><p>“Lena!” Kara shouted as though her voice would be able to freeze time.</p><p>That would be a very useful power to have, she thought while giving all she had to reach the woman. Lena lived on the top floor and it was a damn tall building, and blue eyes kept following as she passed floor after floor, arms wiggling, legs kicking and yelling for her life. The blonde kept going, and going, and going. Lena reached the third floor down, Kara forced herself to go faster.</p><p>She got to Lena when she was on the 25th floor and, keeping in mind that she couldn’t just grab Lena so she wouldn’t break her bones, Kara circled her arms around the woman and slowly started to stop her fall. Lena was still screaming, clearly not realizing she wasn’t going to hit the ground anymore, and the blonde pressed her against her chest, one arm around her waist as the other hand grabbed the ends of her cape to wrap it around Lena.</p><p>“I got you,” Kara spoke directly against the woman’s ear, keeping her arms tight around her. “I got you, Lena. It’s fine.”</p><p>“Kara?” The woman yelled in shock before she hid her face in the crook of the hero’s neck.</p><p>“I got you,” she promised.</p><p>They had finally slowed down to a stop and Kara allowed Lena a second to understand she wasn’t falling anymore, before she started going up again. Kal hadn’t followed her, so she was going to assume he had gone to Lena’s apartment instead.</p><p>“I...” Lena interrupted herself to wrap her arms around Kara’s neck so strongly that the blonde was almost worried that she would end up hurting herself. “I locked Sam and the kids inside my room.”</p><p>“Kal is there,” Kara whispered back. “Where’s Vasquez?”</p><p>“I don’t know. She said she would be in the hallway. When I heard a knock, I thought it was her, so I opened it.” Lena was shaking against her and Kara would never blame her, but it made it a bit harder to understand her words. “It was Lex.”</p><p>From where they were now, Kara could hear Liam crying and Sam trying to calm him down at the same time Ruby asked questions non-stop. Fearing for Vasquez’s life, the hero sped up a little. She had no doubt Lex would hurt whoever he needed to hurt to get what he wanted.</p><p>When they reached Lena’s balcony again, Kal had Lex locked in a vice grip with his hands behind his back while the man spat hurtful words that barely even made any sense. She gently put Lena down, watching as the brunette swayed and keeping her hands around her waist to make sure she would be able to stand by herself. Once she was certain the woman wouldn’t fall, Kara let her go to take a deep breath.</p><p>Her heart was beating so fast, her ears were ringing, and she could feel tears rolling down her cheeks. She was so scared that she would lose Lena that her body entered a state of sheer panic. The adrenaline was now waning, leaving behind all the bad feelings that came with it.</p><p>Lena took a step away from her and she immediately reached out to hold her back. Kara didn’t think she would be able to let her go anywhere. The younger woman turned to look at her, patting the hand that had grabbed her forearm and offering her a watery smile, before brushing Kara’s fingers away. The blonde could do nothing but let her go and watch as Lena approached her own brother.</p><p>Before anyone could say or do anything, including Lex, who had stopped his attacks in shock, Lena closed her fist and sank it against the side of his face so hard that the man’s body went limp. Kal let him go and they all watched as the man simply fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.</p><p>“Stupid jerk,” Lena spat with rage attached to her voice. Shortly after, she started wiggling her hand as her face turned into a grimace. “Son of a bitch.”</p><p>Kara approached her and gently took the woman’s hand in hers to use her x-ray vision to see the damage that had been done. She sighed in relief once she wasdone, pulling Lena into a tight hug. It wasn’t broken, but the woman would need a lot of ice for the swelling that was already forming.</p><p>She pulled away shortly after because they still had things to do, but not before kissing the shorter woman’s forehead. Making sure Lena was very far away from Lex and asking Kal to keep an eye on him, Kara walked to free the other ones from the locked bedroom. Lena immediately took Liam from Sam’s arms, pressing the boy against her chest as she cried silently, and her friend was also fast to pull her own scared daughter into her arms.</p><p>Kara walked away to search for Vasquez, finding the woman passed out in front of the elevator. She was still breathing, although she had a nasty wound on the side of her head. The hero gently scooped her from the floor to bring her inside the apartment, then she made a quick call to Alex to let her know they had Lex but that they should come with an ambulance.</p><p>After that, Kara walked back to where Lena was gently rocking Liam to pull both of them closer to her. She wrapped her cape around the three of them, somehow feeling more secure with the added protection, and inhaled deeply. Her next breath came out all shaky and broken, but she didn’t care. She had almost lost her family again and the panic still installed inside her was suffocating.</p><p>Kara wondered if the only thing stopping her from having a panic attack was the relief that she could feel more than anything else.</p><p>Luckily for her, Lena had no problem distracting her. “I’m mad at you.”</p><p>Kara chuckled, albeit without any humor. “I know.” She paused to hug her tighter and to kiss the baby boy’s head. “You can be mad at me tomorrow. Right now I just need to hold you.”</p><p>Indeed, they didn’t move. Not until Alex came storming inside the apartment, her dark eyes wide and searching. She spotted Kara first, still tangled around her small family, and she relaxed a little after having the confirmation that her sister was fine. Then, she spotted Kal standing in the balcony, making sure that Lex wouldn’t go anywhere – the man had awakened at some point but had remained silent. The next person she saw was Vasquez, sitting at a kitchen chair with a hand holding her head, too dizzy to do anything else – Kara suspected she had a concussion. Finally, she saw Ruby and Sam sitting by the couch, holding each other, and her entire body melted in relief.</p><p>Ruby jumped to her feet and ran towards Alex before anyone could stop her – not that anyone would dare. The girl wrapped her arms around Alex’s waist, pressing her face against her stomach, and closing her eyes while the agent looked down at her in shock. It didn’t take too long for her sister to react, curling her hands around the girl’s shoulders, and also closing her eyes as she hid her face between the wide, curly dark hair.</p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p>Ruby nodded against her, not willing to let her go so early, and Alex chuckled softly when she looked up. Sam had also raised to her feet and Kara allowed Lena some room to turn her head to watch what her friend would do. It felt like they were watching a movie while Sam walked towards Alex so slow that Kara almost groaned impatiently</p><p>Once she was close enough, the tall brunette only stared at her sister until Ruby realized her mother was standing behind her. The girl finally let Alex go, taking a few steps to the side and biting her bottom lip, and the agent gulped loudly, obviously nervous. Then, Sam reached out to take a hold of Alex’s bulletproof vest and yanked her forward, connecting their lips into a closed-mouth kiss. The redhead gasped in surprise, her hands raising beside her head like she wasn’t sure what to do, before she dropped them to Sam’s waist.</p><p>“Well,” they all turned their heads to see Maggie standing by the door with her eyebrows raised, “that’s something.” Then, the Latina turned her head to look at Vasquez. “Should we kiss too?”</p><p>“Stay away from me,” the woman groaned and sounding still in pain.</p><p>Maggie smirked before taking another step inside. “The ambulance is here. Who needs assistance?”</p><p>While Kara tried to convince Lena to ask a doctor to look at her hand, she heard Alex asking if Sam and Ruby were fine, if something had happened to them. She found it cute. Her sister always dreamed about having her family and she could see that, although very distant down the road, Sam and Ruby could be that for her. After they all agreed that Agent Vasquez was the only one who needed to go to the hospital, Maggie left with the woman to take her down to the ambulance since she refused to let the paramedics take her.</p><p>Alex had to break away from her small bubble to take Lex under custody, Kal being the one dragging the man away after she put handcuffs on him, and Sam and Ruby quietly followed them out. Once they were alone, Kara sighed and pulled Lena closer again. Liam, who had calmed down in his mom’s arms, blinked up at her as though he couldn’t decide if he liked to be crushed between them or not.</p><p>“It’s over,” Kara quietly promised. “We got Lillian too.”</p><p>Lena sighed, looking down at her son. “Is it really over though?”</p><p>Well, Kara couldn’t promise that she would never have to deal with Lex or Lillian ever again. There would be a trial, for sure. Lex would go back straight to prison, but he would go through another trial to talk about his newest crimes, and Lillian would be charged for all the crimes she committed in her life and there would be an even longer battle until she was locked behind bars like her son. But she could promise something else.</p><p>“I love you,” Kara declared.</p><p>“I’m mad.”</p><p>Chuckling softly, the hero pulled away. “I will grab some ice for your hand.”</p><p>“Don’t we need to go with them?” Lena asked with one eyebrow quirked.</p><p>Kara shook her head. “It can wait.”</p><p>Kara walked back with an ice pack – of course, Lena wouldn’t be one of those people who wouldn’t have one and would have to grab frozen peas or something like that – and she gently wrapped Lena’s hand with a cloth before putting the ice on it. She took Liam from her next so it wouldn’t touch him and make him cold, and kissed his chubby cheek.</p><p>“I love you too, baby boy,” she whispered. “So much.”</p><p>Liam opened a large smile at her, warming her heart and making her feel all types of good things. “He loves you too,” Lena replied for him. “And he’s not mad, I guess.”</p><p>The blonde huffed a laugh, kissed his head. “That was a nice left hook, you know.” Holding Liam with one arm, she reached her other hand to hold Lena’s bruised hand. She then brought it to her lips to press a kiss over the cloth. “There, now it will heal.”</p><p>Lena chuckled too and, for Kara’s delight, wrapped her arms around the hero’s waist, resting her head on the taller woman’s shoulder, and closed her eyes. Kara rested her chin on top of Lena’s head, also closing her eyes, and allowed the sense of relief to fill her every pore.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Lena: I grew up in a very lovingly family.<br/>Kara: Oh, that's great to hear! What would you guys do?<br/>Lena: We had family time every Thursday.<br/>Kara: That's nice. And what did you do? Everyone brings a dish or...<br/>Lena: Not exactly. Each of us would bring a weapon and we would threat to kill each other.<br/>Kara: ... What?<br/>Lena: Yes! Daddy would bring a gun, Lex would bring a knife, mom would come up with all this different poisons, which was so cool, and I hired tons of killers through the years.<br/>Kara: ... Please, tell me you went to therapy</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Connect the Dots</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Uh, we're almost there, folks! Hold your horses!</p><p>Helper... all my love &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Happy birthday,” Kara muttered quietly against an ear. Her arms, wrapped around a warm body, tugged herself closer, molding their bodies together, and pressing her lips at a random spot against a pale neck. She made sure to kiss every mole and birthmark, feeling as the body pressed against her started to stir.</p><p>With a deep sigh, Lena entwined their fingers together where Kara’s hands were resting against her stomach. She moved her head to give the blonde more space, a lazy smile adorning her lips. “I smell burnt pancakes,” she whispered in amusement.</p><p>Kara huffed, hugging her closer, and rolled her eyes even if the other woman couldn’t see her. “I got distracted feeding Liam and forgot the last one in the pan.”</p><p>Lena raised her arm to scratch the back of Kara’s head with her short nails, just the way she had found out the blonde loved. “All the other ones were saved?”</p><p>“All fourteen of them,” Kara nodded.</p><p>“You ate one, didn’t you?” With the accusation slipping her lips, Lena wiggled her body so she could turn around and face the hero.</p><p>Even if Kara was shaking her head, Lena could see the mirth behind blue eyes. “Do you want breakfast in bed?” She bent her head to give Lena a kiss, but the younger woman turned her head in the last second, grimacing. “What?”</p><p>“Morning breath,” Lena complained.</p><p>“I don’t care.”</p><p>“I do,” the brunette rolled her eyes and threw the blankets away from her body. Kara was lying on top of the covers, her legs crossed by the ankles, clearly being awake for some time, and she resisted the urge to pull Lena back to bed when the woman kicked her legs out of the mattress. “I will be back soon.”</p><p>“Hey, Lena,” the blonde called as soon as Lena stepped inside the bathroom. The woman turned around with raised her brows in question and Kara flashed her a smile. “You look beautiful.”</p><p>Lena blushed, opened her mouth to reply, but chose to roll her eyes instead. Barely holding her smile, she slipped inside the bathroom, leaving Kara alone in the room. The hero chuckled to herself, knowing that Lena wasn’t as confident as she made people believe she was, and enjoying the fact that she managed to make her girlfriend blush. After she was alone, Kara rushed to grab the present she had hidden behind the bed the day before and put it on top of Lena’s pillow, the brown package and a simple ribbon standing out against the white pillowcase.</p><p>They had returned from Ireland a week before and, since they handed Lex and Lillian to the cops to deal with them, she had spent all of her free time looking for a gift. Kara wasn’t rich and, although she had a comfortable life, she couldn’t buy the type of things she wished she could for Lena – expensive necklace, diamond earrings, a freaking island. She had asked for some help from Sam, but the woman was too busy being smitten by her sister to give her any good advice, and Alex only said she should gift her the truth about the bracelet, which Kara didn’t appreciate.</p><p>She had also gone back to work in the middle of the week, after it was impossible to pull off any other excuses, so she also had that to worry about. Sam had hired an intern while she was out to be able to appease Cat’s anger and suspicion, and now she had a young girl following her everywhere to learn things. Although smart, proactive and nice, Nia was just starting and she had a lot to learn. Sam had also transferred her to the writing team, she was no longer Cat’s assistant, and she also had too many things to learn and very little time to do so.</p><p>On top of it all, Kara was trying not to suffocate Lena with her presence. She didn’t want to be away, she felt much better when she was around to make sure nothing bad would happen, but she was also aware that she didn’t live in Lena’s apartment and that she couldn’t just be there all the time. Because of that, Kara had woken up more than once after a nightmare, terrified that something had happened to one of them and she wasn’t around to protect them. And, of course, more than once she also had to stop herself from flying across town to make sure everything was fine. She would close her eyes and concentrate on the heartbeat that had become her favorite sound and try to calm down enough to go back to sleep.</p><p>Kara had spent the night that Friday because it was Lena’s birthday the next day and she wanted to be there to congratulate her, and that was the first full night of sleep she had since the day they arrested Lex and Lillian – because they had also slept together then. Adding the fact that she was excited to celebrate Lena’s day with her, she had no problem waking up earlier to make her girlfriend breakfast and to feed their son – Rao, she had a son now, it was crazy to think about that sometimes.</p><p>Lena walked back into the room a few minutes later, her hair pulled in a loose bun, and she crossed the space barefoot to lean over and kiss Kara. The blonde accepted the touch with a smile as she wrapped her arm around Lena’s waist to pull the woman on top of her. Lena giggled, trying to move her body so she would be straddling Kara’s lap without breaking their kiss. She rested her weight on Kara’s thighs, cupped her face, and gave the hero enough time to ravish her mouth like they wouldn’t have another opportunity to kiss.</p><p>After a while, Kara pulled away with a huge smile, her eyes still closed with a dreamy look, and kissed her cheek. “Happy birthday,” she repeated in a whisper.</p><p>Lena, also smiling, tapped the blonde’s jaw with her index finger distractedly. “Thank you, but I don’t celebrate my birthday.”</p><p>Kara hummed and nuzzled against Lena’s neck. “Should I take your present away then?”</p><p>“Not fair,” the woman grumbled playfully.</p><p>Kara chuckled and pulled away, nudging Lena to the side so she would sit in bed again. Smiling broadly, the brunette picked up her gift before sitting on top of her pillow, too excited to make the place more comfortable for her. She immediately started to unwrap the square-shaped gift, not carrying much about destroying the nice wrap Kara had found for her. Kara watched nervously, biting her bottom lip and fiddling with her fingers, as Lena’s eyes finally found the present and her brain registered what it was.</p><p>It was a painting, something Kara had started right after they got back from Ireland. She had used her freezing breath to speed the process, but she managed to do an oil painting of Lena and Liam, staring at the Cliffs of Moher. They had their backs turned, Liam was in Lena’s arms, being supported by her hip, and the woman had her head turned to look at him. Kara was way better doing landscape paintings, she was aware of that, but she couldn’t take that image out of her head and had to paint it. The cliffs in front of them were wide and detailed, however, mother and son were contours, bathed by the sunset.</p><p>The painting wasn’t bigger than a plate, just a small, meaningful thing she wanted to give Lena, but she had also managed to find a tiny space by the left corner to press Liam’s hand against the still wet green paint. She had to sneak the painting inside, get him to do it, clean his hand and get the painting out while Lena was in the shower, but it was totally worth it. His small hand gave it a special touch, for sure.</p><p>“Kara...” The brunette breathed, bringing the painting closer to her face at the same time she brought her index finger to hover above it like she was afraid to touch it.</p><p>The blonde smiled. “You can touch it, it’s fine.”</p><p>Even so, Lena didn’t do it. Instead, she lowered her hand and turned her watery eyes to stare at Kara. Her lips were trembling slightly as she reached out to hold the hero’s hand. “Did you do this?”</p><p>Blushing a little, Kara nodded, raising her free hand to scratch the back of her neck. Looking completely impressed, and totally smitten, Lena glanced back at the painting. “This is beautiful. Kara, this is... This is perfect.”</p><p>“Oh, please,” Kara chuckled nervously. “It’s nothing. It’s silly.”</p><p>“No.” Lena squeezed her hand and turned her head to kiss Kara’s cheek. “This is the best gift I ever received. Thank you.”</p><p>Trying to take the attention from her, Kara shrugged. “You should see what Liam got you.”</p><p>“Liam got me something?” The younger woman questioned, quirking one eyebrow and smirking. “I hope it’s not a dirty diaper.”</p><p>“Liam’s your son! He has better taste than that.” Kara leaned away so she could reach out for the top drawer in the nightstand. She opened it, closed her hand around a small box and pulled it out, closing the drawer and going back to her initial position. The box fit perfectly in her palm and weighed almost nothing. The hero put it on Lena’s hand and smiled. “He picked it himself.”</p><p>Intrigued, Lena quickly opened the gift. Inside the wrapper was a wooden box, engraved all around the sides and top, with a small crank to the side. The woman quickly found the lid and opened it. Inside, there was a delicate metallic mechanism and an engraved message in the lid. There, in big, well-designed letters, were Lena’s initials, the ‘l’s entangled around itself. Well, it could either be Lena’s initials or Liam’s, which worked just fine.</p><p>Pointing at the crank, Kara explained softly. “It’s a music box. You can only play the music it got engraved with, so no heavy metal for you, sorry.”</p><p>Lena chuckled, albeit it sounded more like a sob. Then, holding the crank with two fingers, she started to gently spin it. After a brief pause, she heard the first chords of ‘Moon River’ playing and her next sob was real.</p><p>“This is beautiful,” she whispered.</p><p>Kara reached out to brush the woman’s tears from her cheeks with the pad of her thumb, a lovingly smile in her lips. “Told you Liam had a nice gift for you.” Lena breathed a tearful laugh, stopping the song, and the blonde leaned over to kiss her temple. “Although I had to convince him that the one with the Lord of the Rings theme song would be better for a Christmas gift instead.”</p><p>The brunette chuckled again as she adjusted in bed to rest her head on Kara’s shoulder. “I love you so much.”</p><p>“No more than I love you,” Kara hid her nose on top of Lena’s head, taking a deep breath of strawberry shampoo, and smiled. “Breakfast?”</p><p>They ate in bed, despite Lena’s protests about getting crumbs on her sheets, and Kara got up to grab Liam when the boy started to fuss inside his crib. Once lying between them, the boy looked happy to just babble every time they tried to start another conversation. After they were done with breakfast, Kara demanded that Lena relax in bed while she cleaned everything.</p><p>She was about to go back to bed with another teacup for her girlfriend when her phone rang. She saw Kal’s name on the screen and almost declined the call, but, since she knew they would be transferring Lex to jail that day, she decided it would be wiser to answer it.</p><p>“Hey, Kal.”</p><p>
  <em>“Hi, Kara. How are you?”</em>
</p><p>Leaning against the kitchen counter, the blonde started to play with the teabag, dipping it inside the warm water. “I’m good. You?”</p><p><em>“Great. I’m calling you to let you know I will be going back to Metropolis later today,”</em> Kal paused and she heard him sigh. <em>“We still need to take the files back to the Fortress. I was wondering if we could do it today.”</em></p><p>Kara frowned, not exactly sure how to answer that. Kal was more than capable of doing that alone and they both knew it, so the question itself was a bit weird. It was also Lena’s birthday and she had an entire day planned for them. Sam would show up for lunch because Ruby wanted to give her present to her godmother and Kara had intended to take Lena and Liam to a walk on the park later.</p><p>“Well,” Kara sighed, “I don’t know, Kal. I can do it another day if you don’t wish to go alone.”</p><p><em>“I think we should go together,”</em> he insisted, but offered no explanation for that.</p><p>“It’s Lena’s birthday today, I have plans.”</p><p><em>“Oh, send her my best wishes.”</em> Kal didn’t say anything else for a few seconds, before sighing. <em>“I have something to show you, Kara.”</em></p><p>She couldn’t exactly tell him no now, right? With a deep, annoyed sigh, Kara pinched the bridge of her nose and dropped her shoulders. “Okay, fine. What time do you wish to go?”</p><p>They had lunch with Sam and Ruby, as planned. Lena would whine and complain every time her friend tried to bring back another story from the past, including the wild celebration they made for Lena’s 21st birthday, where they got so drunk that Sam woke up inside Lena’s closet wearing only her socks while Lena had woken up in another town.</p><p>“Thought you said you don’t celebrate your birthdays,” Kara teased as she walked behind Lena’s chair to grab some water in the fridge.</p><p>“And that’s a clear reason why I don’t,” Lena scoffed and rolled her eyes.</p><p>Chuckling, Kara paused to fill Lena’s glass as well, before returning to her chair. “I got drunk once and tried to fly back home, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it. Alex had to drag me for ten blocks.”</p><p>“Oh, yes,” Sam laughed. “She told me about it.”</p><p>The blonde raised her eyebrows, lowering her cup slowly as she tried not to smile. “And how are things going between you two?”</p><p>Sam opened her mouth to reply – and, by the looks of it, she was going to deny or try to change the subject – but Ruby, who had been eating some ice cream, was faster than her. Without looking up, the kid simply stated that “Alex spent the night on Thursday.”</p><p>Sam gasped in shock at her daughter’s bluntness at the same time Lena laughed loudly, throwing her head back, while Kara choked. The girl finally looked away from her precious ice cream to look at her mother like she couldn’t understand what the big deal was, only to have Sam shoving her away.</p><p>“What?” The girl complained. “She did! We had dinner and watched movies!”</p><p>“And she slept in the guest room because it was too late,” Sam quickly added when the girl stopped talking.</p><p>Still laughing, Lena nodded. “I’m sure she did.”</p><p>Kara glanced at her cup, not sure what to do, before she drank the rest of the water. Then, she reached out for the ice cream bowl, took a spoon-full out and put it in her empty cup. With a sigh, she started eating the ice cream so she wouldn’t have to think about her sister doing anything other than watching movies late at night. Lena reached out to give her a sympathetic pat on her arm, albeit still chuckling.</p><p>After Sam and Ruby left, they decided to spend some time cuddling on the couch while a random movie played in the background. Liam played for a while on his playmat, rolling around and throwing things, but he eventually started to fall asleep, so Kara picked him up so he could lie on top of her to be more comfortable. She noticed Lena sneaking some pictures of Liam sleeping in her chest and her just staying there like a rock, but she said nothing to stop her.</p><p>By the time the movie was over, Kara had to untangle herself from her little family to go meet Kal. She kissed Lena’s forehead, promised to be back for dinner – and they had already agreed to eat at home since Lena didn’t want to get out and face the world just yet – and left. Kal was waiting for her in front of the DEO, holding two suitcases and sporting a smile.</p><p>“Sorry to drag you here.”</p><p>Kara also smiled, very aware that her cousin didn’t mean to annoy her. “We need to rush,” she said. “I promised Lena I would bring dinner.”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>Offering her a grin, Kal took off, letting Kara to follow him. It took them no time to get to the Fortress and even less to get inside with the special key only they could use. As soon as she moved to put the suitcases away, Kal stopped her by putting a hand around her wrist. She turned around with one eyebrow raised and waited for him to speak.</p><p>Kal dropped his hands and took a step back, falling on his signature pose. “I was taking a look at the files Alex and that detective got and I, uh, I found something that I thought you would like to know.”</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>“Did you ever wonder why my parents didn’t go through the codex machine process?” He asked instead and Kara shot him a confused look.</p><p>“Well, aunt Astra always said it was because they met and... didn’t feel like they needed to.” That was one of the things she was told about Jor-El and Lara’s story. She was too young at the time to understand what was happening, but she had a very distant memory of going to Jor-El and Lara’s bonding ceremony, and her aunt Astra explaining that the codex machine wasn’t used on them.</p><p>“They fell in love, yes?” Kal affirmed and asked at the same time, sounding a bit nervous.</p><p>Kara pursed her lips. “I suppose.”</p><p>Her cousin nodded. “Kryptonians aren’t supposed to fall in love. Not like that, at least. We were built to work and accomplish tasks. Romance and love were supposed to be very distant things, many times being considered... archaic.” He moved to open the suitcase he was holding, moving some files away before pulling a small book out. “But... I found this and it’s talking about how it worked differently for some of us. They talk about my parents and about some other couples that appeared over the years. For a long time, they believed it was a myth, then they started to address it as a curve along the line.”</p><p>“What are you talking about?” Kara wondered as she reached out to take the book from his hands. It was small, very thin, and completely brown. There wasn’t a title or any information about who might have written that.</p><p>“Kryptonians connect differently, right?” Kal offered with a tiny smile. “We care about health, family history, abilities, intelligence, capacity to fulfill some tasks. Sometimes... Well, almost every time we would have the help of the codex to find that person who we will connect with, but sometimes we would find it on our own.” He paused, turned some pages of the book until he found what he was looking for, and then pointed at a specific part. “Once we connect... we become one. We’re so in sync with each other that we know what they’re thinking, we know what they’re feeling... we can hear their heartbeat.” His pause was longer this time, although he did nothing else other than wait for the information to register in her mind. Kara looked up at him with wide eyes. “I believe that’s what happened with you and Lena. She’s not Kryptonian, which means you will never fully connect with each other, but you can hear her heartbeat, so that means you’re connected at some level.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Kal chuckled this time. “I had more time to get used to the idea when I met Lois. I knew from the start she would be the one for me. I felt that pull, that connection, and we built our relationship from that.” He laughed again, patting her shoulder. “Guess things went a bit differently for you and Lena.”</p><p>Distracted, still shocked, Kara nodded. “You could say that.”</p><p>“I... I believe Lex read this book when I brought him once and, well, I think that he thought he could be that person... to me.”</p><p>Kara grimaced. “Gross. He’s a jerk.”</p><p>The tall man laughed more freely, nodding and shrugging. “Well, I was glad he wasn’t, let’s put it like that.”</p><p>“Can you...” The blonde tilted her head, still considering what she had heard. “Can you hear your son’s heartbeat?”</p><p>“I can, yes,” Kal smiled broadly. “I heard it even before the human machines could capture it. I saw... I saw Lena’s son that night and I could tell you care a lot for him.”</p><p>Thinking about the small baby who would scream, grab her hair, pee on her and give her all the reasons to smile, Kara chuckled. “You could say that.”</p><p>“I guess what this book describes is the closest thing Krypton had to what people on Earth call soulmates, although it’s not exactly that and I don’t particularly believe it either way,” Kal shrugged again. “I just thought I would share it with you. I know I don’t talk much about Krypton and I have a lot of information here in the Fortress that I also hadn’t shared. J’onn would know more about it than myself, I’m sure he read all of it at some point.” His face contorted into a sad grimace and he sighed. “Sadly, I think even Lex knows more about my planet than I do. Anyway, you should come here and see everything we have about our home, I’m sure you would love it.”</p><p>They had a problematic relationship sometimes, they were both aware of that, and Kara didn’t think she would ever be able to understand Kal’s need to run away from his past, but she was thankful he had decided to share that with her and encourage her to find all the things she wanted to know. Kara pulled him for a hug, quick and a bit awkward, before she pulled away with a smile.</p><p>“Do you mind if I take this book back with me?”</p><p>He chuckled. “Of course not. This is your sanctuary as well, Kara. Take whatever you want.”</p><p>They worked in silence and at human pace while putting the rest of the files away, until Kal noticed the silver bracelet around her wrist. He touched it with his fingertips, a gentle smile on his lips, and Kara felt her own heart race a bit.</p><p>“I’m happy for you.”</p><p>Kara huffed a nervous laugh. “She gave it to me, but... she didn’t know.”</p><p>“Does she know now?” He asked without an ounce of judgment in his voice. If there was anyone in the world who would know how it felt to have your customs and traditions twisted and unknown, that person would be Kal, even though he was raised entirely on Earth’s norms.</p><p>She shook her head with a deep sigh. “No. It has been a crazy week, you know. The police called her to several interrogations, Lillian was indicted, I had to go back to work, we barely had time to sit and rest. I didn’t want to just drop it on her.” Kara pursed her lips, tilted her head, and then huffed to herself. “I’m also scared. That’s the bigger reason.”</p><p>“Well,” Kal offered her another smile and he looked genuinely happy. “I’m sure everything will work out in the end.”</p><p>Kara chuckled because, well, she would be the first one to agree with that saying. They finished the work fairly quickly after that and they left the Fortress already saying their goodbyes since Kal wouldn’t go back to National City with her. Kara watched him go with a new sense of fondness towards her cousin. After he was out of her sight, she chuckled softly, shaking her head, before taking off as well.</p><p>It was already night when she landed on Lena’s balcony, carrying a pizza box and smiling when she heard Lena humming somewhere inside the apartment. She left the box on top of the kitchen table, removed her boots and cape, and started making her way inside to search for Lena. She followed her voice and heartbeat, noticing she was with Liam, and quickly found them in the bathroom.</p><p>She pushed the door open and smiled when she spotted Lena sitting inside the bathtub, back pressed against the ceramic, knees raised out the water, surrounded by bubbles while holding a giggling Liam. The boy was lying on top of her thighs, his body wet and his little hands waving around while trying to reach for the water.</p><p>“I don’t think I have ever heard you sing,” Kara commented lightly as she approached the tub with a huge smile.</p><p>Lena looked up, a bit startled by her appearance, but her lips immediately curled in a soft smile, although her cheeks acquired a blush. “I don’t think you want to hear it. It would be hideous.”</p><p>Kara hummed as she kneeled beside the tub. Liam glanced at her and giggled even louder as he tried to throw himself in her arms. Lena kept him in place by putting her palm against his round belly and running the bath sponge down his legs. The hero leaned over to peck her lips and kiss his head, though.</p><p>“I doubt it,” Kara chuckled. “I got you dinner.”</p><p>Lena nodded. “We were already getting out, right, Liam?” The baby giggled again and tried to roll over again.</p><p>Deciding to give Liam what he wanted, Kara got up to grab a towel before slipping him from Lena’s grip to wrap him with it. “Come on, LK. Let mommy shower while I give you some food. How does that sound?”</p><p>Apparently, Liam enjoyed the idea because he happily let her take him away and into the kitchen, where she proceeded to warm up some breast milk Lena had pumped earlier that day. While it heated, Kara walked to the stereo so put on the song Lena had been humming to. She walked to the balcony door, although she didn’t walk outside since the night was a little too cold for Liam, then she started giving him the bottle while rocking gently to the song.</p><p>She heard Lena approaching them a few minutes later when she was already patting Liam’s back and Kara smiled when the shorter woman curled her arms around her waist, swaying to the song with her. Lena kissed her shoulder and sighed contently.</p><p>“I can barely look at the balcony now,” she confessed quietly. “And I don’t feel too safe here either. Not after Lex managed to invade here twice and push me to my death.”</p><p>Kara could understand that. She didn’t feel particularly good at having Lena and Liam living in a place that had proved twice not to be safe, especially when she was trying not to hover about them. She disliked it even more now that she knew her girlfriend also wasn’t feeling safe there.</p><p>She would feel much better if Lena was staying with her. Although her building had no type of security system, no one would think Lena Luthor was staying in a small studio apartment and, besides that, they would be living together. It almost sounded like a dream, something that she didn’t know how much she wanted until she addressed it, but there was still a big elephant in the room, stopping her from making the offer for the second time.</p><p>“Your pizza is getting cold,” Kara whispered. “I will put Liam in his crib so you can get started, okay?”</p><p>When she came back to the kitchen, Lena had stacked several slices of pizza in a plate for her and she was quietly eating one herself while scrolling down her phone. Kara sat on the chair in front of her and started picking at her food, her stomach flipping uncomfortably because of her nerves.</p><p>“I, uh, I need to talk to you about something.”</p><p>Lena looked up from her phone, quirking one eyebrow in questioning, before she pushed everything away to give Kara her full attention. “Okay... What is it?”</p><p>Kara, who had changed to one of the hoodies she kept at Lena’s apartment, pulled the sleeve of her hoodie up, her eyes easily found the bracelet on her wrist and she took a deep breath. “It’s about the bracelet you gave me. I, well, I can’t keep it.”<strike></strike></p><p>“What?” Glancing up, she saw that the brunette looked as confused as she sounded.</p><p>“Back on Krypton, and I know we’re not there and things are different on Earth, but back then...” Kara took a break to think over what she wanted to say and how to say it. This was important and it would not be the right time to stutter. “A bracelet is a sign of... commitment.”</p><p>Lena frowned, crossing her arms. “How so?”</p><p>The blonde raised her hand to fiddle with her glasses, only to remember she hadn’t put them on though she had taken the suit off. Instead, she scratched the back of her neck and sighed. “Lena... When you gave me the bracelet you... proposed to me.”</p><p>“Oh,” the woman breathed in clear shock, her mouth hanging open and eyebrows rising so high that they almost touched her hairline.</p><p>Kara nodded. “Yep,” she tried to chuckle to take some of the tension away. “You see, we wouldn’t use rings, we used bracelets. Once our name was sorted by the codex, a family, usually the least prestigious one of the two, would have to make a proposal to the other family. It was a proposal to join houses. They would have to seal the deal, so to speak. Offer family history, achievements, that sort of things, to convince the other house that joining them would be the best deal. The head of the house would be in charge of the proposal and the head of the other house would be the one accepting the deal or not, considering the family’s best interests. The house doing the proposal would bring a bracelet. If the other family accepted the deal, they would take it and the Kryptonian who had been proposed to would wear it to show they were already proposed to. Some families would change the bracelet after the ceremony, get a matching one or something like that.”</p><p>Lena was still looking at her weirdly, although she had closed her mouth, pursed her lips and furrowed her brows as though she was thinking hard about something. Whatever it was, Kara was a bit afraid to find out. When the silence became too much for her to bear, she decided to keep talking.</p><p>"So, I can't wear it.” The blonde touched the double chains with her index finger for a few seconds before she undid the hook to slip it from her wrist. It hadn’t left since Lena had put it there and she suddenly felt very naked without it, but it was the right thing to do, she was sure. “It wouldn’t be right to you and it wouldn’t be fair to me. One day, when you mean it, you can give it back to me and I will proudly wear it." Then, she put the bracelet on top of the table and slid it towards Lena with a sad smile.</p><p>Seemingly distracted, Lena picked the bracelet between unsteady fingers and her frown deepened. "Kara, I want you to wear it,” she declared after a few seconds.</p><p>Kara sighed again. "Lena..."</p><p>“No,” the younger woman shook her head vehemently. "No, I mean it."</p><p>Kara thought back about her words, wondering if she had maybe phrased things wrong. Perhaps she hadn’t been very clear about what that meant. "Maybe you should think about it,” she whispered. “You said it's too soon and you had no idea what you were doing when you gave it to me. I just loaded a lot of information on top of you as well, so you should take a time to think about what you’re saying."</p><p>Without missing a beat, Lena declared: "I'm sure.”</p><p>Silence fell around them, heavy and uncertain, where they just stared at each other from across the table. Lena had gone from shocked, to confused, to set jaw and shining eyes in less than five minutes, and it took Kara a while to understand that. There was no sign of doubt in her features and her grip on the bracelet was strong. Then, suddenly, Lena shot to her feet, going around the table at the same time Kara turned her body on the chair to face her. The brunette stopped in front of her, took a deep breath, and repeated her words.</p><p>“Kara, I'm sure."</p><p>Well, Kara was only a woman... She couldn’t ignore the fact that Lena herself was also sure and that there was nothing else she wanted more than exactly what Lena was offering her. So, with a smile and watery eyes, the blonde reached out to hold the woman’s hand.</p><p>"Lena Luthor..."</p><p>However, the younger woman was just as fast to interrupt her. "No.” She shook her head and turned her hand so hers would be below Kara’s, then squeezed her fingers reassuringly. “No, let me do it.” Then, taking a deep breath, she started. “Ms. Zor-El, I would like to propose we join our houses. I have a very strong belief that we could both benefit from it. I'm, as we speak now, the head of the Luthor House.” At that, Lena actually puffed her chest and straightened her spine so she would look taller. “Admittedly, not a very well-spoken house, but it's a wealthy house, known for our intelligence and ambition. And the House of El is, as I believe it to be, based on loyalty, strength, trust and hard work, all the things that my own house would like to be a part of as well.” Lena let go of her hand to put the bracelet on her own palm. “That said, I would also like to say that the head of the Luthor House is madly in love with the head of the House of El, which means that I have reasons to believe that, by joining our houses, we could both..."</p><p>Unable to hold back any longer, Kara threw herself from her chair, smashing their lips together and pushing Lena back until her back touched a wall. The kiss was slow, warm, fond and filled with so many emotions that the blonde felt like crying for a brief moment. There was a small breath of anticipation coming from Lena when she sucked on her bottom lip, and Kara’s mind was in a total haze with the feelings running up and down her spine, causing shivers along the way. Her fingers drifted to the side of Lena’s neck, pulling her closer and urging her to meet her movements. She could hear Lena’s heart beating fast and unsteady, the hard pulse against her palm, the trembles on her body, and Kara felt too good to stop.</p><p>Lena had tangled her hands in Kara’s hair, just slightly aware of the bracelet still being held dangerously close to the blonde locks, but the way her tongue wrapped around the hero’s tongue made Kara’s stomach flip and all the coherent thought slipped from her mind. It still amazed her how kissing Lena made her heart beat faster, something crawl beneath her skin, a wave of pleasure to wash over her body and made her feel completely safe at the same time. Her entire body reacted to their lips touching, all worries and bad thoughts being tossed away, making her feel like she had just walked home.</p><p>It was a damn good feeling and Kara would never have enough of that, but, even so, they still had to finish their conversation. Kara slowly ended the kiss by pressing quick pecks on plump, red lips, and she turned out to smile against the shorter woman’s lips.</p><p>"You could have done it the Earth way, you know,” she commented. “I would have said yes regardless." And she would. Lena could have offered her a banana and she would still have said yes.</p><p>"You didn’t say yes yet,” Lena replied with her eyes still closed and a lazy smile on her lips.</p><p>"My apologies, Ms. Luthor,” Kara chuckled and leaned away just enough to look at her face, keeping her hands cupping Lena’s neck and face. “The House of El agrees to join houses with the Luthor House and we have no additional terms to this agreement." Still smiling, and feeling like her soul was about to leave her body or that her heart was doing backflips inside her chest, the hero leaned over to kiss her again. Just before their lips touched, she stopped, pulled away and smirked. “I mean, I have a few demands...”</p><p>“Demands?”</p><p>“Suggestions,” she quickly corrected after noticing Lena’s raised eyebrow.</p><p>“And what would they be?” Lena narrowed her eyes at her.</p><p>“Cookies for dinner.”</p><p>“Not a chance.”</p><p>“But they would dinosaur-shaped cookies!” The blonde argued.</p><p>“What other suggestion you have?” The brunette gave her a warning look, probably to speed up with the nonsense, and Kara couldn’t help but chuckle.</p><p>“I also want you to start beliving me when I say how beautiful you are,” the hero leaned to skim her nose against Lena’s sharp jaw and smiled happily when she heard the woman’s gasp. “And good morning kisses, morning breath or not.”</p><p>Lena finally turned her head so she could capture the blonde’s lips again, pulling her in and keeping her as close as possible. After they pulled away, Lena lowered her hands to squeeze Kara’s arms, nuzzling their noses together. "I zhao you."</p><p>Kara chuckled. "That's not how you say it."</p><p>"That's fine,” Lena shrugged. “We have a very long time for you to teach me."</p><p>The blonde chuckled again – and she didn’t think she would ever be able to stop, she was just too happy – and took a step back so she could hold Lena’s hand on hers. “Do you realize you just proposed to me?”</p><p>“Well,” Lena jokingly turned her head to the side while looking down at the bracelet, “I kind of had done that before without noticing it. Only fair to make it official.” After saying that, she froze for a second before looking up with wide eyes. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to the registration office tomorrow. I mean, I can agree with the whole proposal situation going on, but I don’t think we should actually get married just yet.”</p><p>Laughing, Kara raised her hand to press a kiss to the back of it. “You decide when that’s going to happen, don’t worry. I’m sad to inform you that you can’t back away from the proposal, though.”</p><p>Also chuckling and rolling her eyes, Lena put the bracelet right where it belonged. “We really can’t do anything slowly, can we?”</p><p>“I will not take the blame for this one.”</p><p>The younger woman huffed as she wrapped her arms around Kara’s neck to pull her closer again. At the same time, the blonde curled her strong arms around her waist and they just stared lovingly at each other for a few minutes.</p><p>“No,” Lena whispered. “That was on me.”</p><p>“The next one will be my fault, though,” Kara said while pulling Lena away from the wall so they could make the way to the bedroom.</p><p>“Oh?” Lena arched one eyebrow with a smirk.</p><p>“It’s your birthday and I heard about a gift installed in your room.”</p><p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ms. Danvers.”</p><p>Kara hummed. “Are you sure? Something about... red sunlamps?”</p><p>Pushing the door open with her hips since she was still tangled around Kara, Lena tilted her head to the side as though she was thinking about it for a second. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p><p>“Too bad,” Kara replied. “Because I don’t know how to turn that on on my own and, if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then-“</p><p>“I just remembered,” the brunette quickly interrupted her. “I definitely remember.”</p><p>Smirking, the hero spun them around so she was the one with her back turned to the bed, before she let herself fall on top of the mattress with a dramatic happy groan. “Show me then.”</p><p>Well... Lena never backed away from a challenge.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kara: I think it's great that we all found love, don't you think?<br/>Alex: What do you mean?<br/>Kara: I found Lena, you found Sam, Kal has Lois, Mon-El found a black hole to get lost in. We're all happy with our beloved ones.<br/>J'onn: Hey, what are you two talking about?<br/>Kara: Oh... Here, let me show you this really cool app named Tinder. With it you can...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Domestic Life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Oh, boy, we're almost there!</p><p>To my dear helper, you're a honey :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Have you seen my earrings?”</p><p>Glancing around the bathroom sink, even though she knew she wouldn’t find anything there, Kara frowned. “Which ones?”</p><p>Lena peeked her head inside while she leaned against the door to slip her heels on. “The blue ones.”</p><p>Kara huffed. “Lena, you have at least five blue earrings.”</p><p>The brunette rolled her eyes and disappeared shortly after, walking down the hallway to finish getting dressed. She was wearing a blouse with black and white patterns, and Kara saw her changing her skirt to pants and back to the skirt three times already. Her make-up was light with a red lipstick that made her lips look even more kissable, she woke up really early to pull her hair in a complicated, fancy bun, and the woman managed to look gorgeous even when the sun was barely out yet. Kara chuckled to herself, shaking her head, before she turned back to look at herself in the mirror to apply her lip gloss.</p><p>Exiting her small bathroom, Kara made her way to the curtain separating the room from the rest of the apartment, and laughed again when she saw Lena struggling to find her stuff between the madness of boxes and open suitcases lying around. Lena had some of her clothes inside Kara’s wardrobe, but there wasn’t enough space for everything she owned, so they had to work with what they had.</p><p>As Lena tried to find her earrings, Kara opened the door to her side of the wardrobe – and, yes, she had vacated four doors for Lena to use – and looked between her button-ups to pick one. She ended up choosing a dark blue with a heart pattern that would go well with her dark-red trousers. While she buttoned her shirt, she heard Lena give a frustrated sigh and decided to lend her a hand. Kara walked to one of the boxes lying on the floor, moved things around a little bit, and then pulled out a jewelry box.</p><p>Opening it, she pulled out matching silver earrings and a silver necklace, before walking towards Lena. “Here, this will work well.”</p><p>Since Lena had her back turned to her, Kara quickly put the necklace around her neck and kissed the skin there, before offering her the earrings so she could put them in herself. The shorter woman flashed her a thankful smile and gave her a peck. They were the same height again and it was easy for her to do it, so she did it twice more before pulling away to put the earrings on. Fairly distracted, Kara only watched her for a while.</p><p>“What?” Lena asked after she was done with the earrings.</p><p>The blonde shrugged, barely noticing the fond smile she had on her face. “Nothing.”</p><p>Biting back a smile, Lena pulled her closer by the collars of her shirt, then she started doing the last buttons that Kara had missed to stare at her. “You’re going to be late.”</p><p>“My boss would hate that,” the hero replied joyfully.</p><p>“She would,” Lena winked as she patted Kara’s shoulders. “Shirt inside your pants, now! And put on that belt I like.” Then, she paused, looked at Kara from head to toe, and tilted her head. “And what’s up with the hearts?”</p><p>“To show you support!” Kara declared proudly of her choice. She pulled the shirt away from her torso to look at it as well, before she smoothed it down and started to push it inside her trousers. “You know, for your first day back to work!”</p><p>Lena rolled her eyes but leaned over to kiss her cheek, which Kara considered a win. After that, they both returned to their tasks of getting ready for work while fighting for space inside the very small room. Kara got ready first, not surprisingly, and she slipped out to give Lena some room, making her way straight to the kitchen, where her mother was idly mixing something inside a pan.</p><p>“What are you doing?” she asked without preamble. They had already greeted each other when she opened the door for her mother earlier that morning and she wasn’t expecting to get anything to eat.</p><p>“A recipe that Alex used to love when she was a baby,” the older blonde explained with the same gentle voice she always had. “Pumpkin puree, with just a little bit of cinnamon and coconut milk.”</p><p>It certainly smelled incredible. “Can I have some?” It was her mom, she could ask without an ounce of shame.</p><p>Eliza scoffed at her. “It’s not ready yet. It’s for lunch.”</p><p>Kara pouted and glanced over her shoulder to where Liam was sitting on his high chair, happily playing with his puppy while waiting for something else to happen. Lena had already fed him and he wouldn’t be eating for another two or three hours, but he enjoyed staying in the kitchen with them.</p><p>Seeing the pout on her daughter’s lips, Eliza rolled her eyes. “I will save you some.”</p><p>Kara kissed her cheek and walked towards Liam to do the same at him. “You’re a very lucky boy,” she whispered at him before walking to the fridge to grab an apple she could eat on the way.</p><p>It was Lena’s first day back to work after her maternity leave and they would need a lot of adjustment until they found the right pace to work with. For instance, Lena woke up really early to feed Liam and shower, but she wasn’t done in time to make them anything to eat, although Kara said she didn’t have to and that she could fly over to get them something, only to have Lena saying she shouldn’t give herself the trouble. Then, Eliza had arrived to take care of Liam while they worked and Kara still had to slip from her pajamas, so, yes, they would need to schedule their time better the next day.</p><p>But that had been their life. Adjustments. Lena had come to live in her apartment and they needed to figure out how to live together and, even more so, how to live together inside a place that wasn’t even half the size of Lena’s penthouse. It was a little hard, but they managed it in the end. What mattered at the end of the day wasn’t the boxes spread around or the crib in the middle of the living room, but that they had each other and they had Liam, so hardly anything else mattered.</p><p>Kara was just grateful that she had been able to convince Lena to move into her small space for the time being. Lena had been hesistant at first for a number reasons (the size definitely being one of them, even when she said she didn’t care about the simplicity of her apartment). But then there was the morning Lena had finally decided to go out on to her balcony since Lex had pushed her and she couldn’t stop shaking. Not even when Kara pulled her inside and held her. Lena had confessed then that she had been having her own nightmares about falling, about him breaking into the apartment again. That even with Kara there with them, she didn’t feel safe there anymore – and Kara couldn’t blame her because she did fail on keeping them safe twice, didn’t she?. They had moved into Kara’s place the next day, much to her relief, under the restriction that they would start looking for another place.</p><p>They talked about getting another place to live, and Kara had mostly agreed it would be a good choice, but she had a very clear demand, something she wasn’t willing to relinquish. They had to buy it together, they would have to split the price and get a place they both helped to buy. She wouldn’t feel good otherwise. And, because of that, it was a bit harder to find a place that would attend all of their requirements – location, price, size. Especially because Kara didn’t want to spend all of her savings when she wanted to buy another expensive thing.</p><p>They were still searching, though, and Kara was sure they would find it before Liam’s first birthday, which would happen in four months.</p><p>“Eliza,” Lena called as she pushed the curtains back to join them, “good morning. And thank you again for doing this.”</p><p>The older blonde threw her a smile, still stirring the pan. “You don’t have to thank me, Lena. I was looking for a way to spend time now that I’m retired and I enjoy the presence of this little guy very much.”</p><p>Eliza met Lena and Liam – and, therefore, Sam and Ruby – the week after Lex got transferred back to prison, deciding that she should pay a visit to her wayward daughters to make sure they were still in one piece, and she had simply loved them. She instantly warmed up to Liam, taking the boy under her wing, and thinking he was the cutest baby alive – which made Alex roll her eyes – and she also seemed to like Lena. It took some time for the strangeness to fade, and for Lena to open up to the motherly figure, but, once it was all behind, they took very well to each other. That’s why, when Eliza offered to stay and take care of Liam for them, Kara wasn’t that surprised. Lena, on the other hand, not used to having people doing things for her without expecting anything in return, hadn’t stopped thanking Eliza since that day.</p><p>Smiling, Kara curled one arm around Lena’s waist and pulled her close to kiss her temple. “Are you ready to go?”</p><p>Lena sighed but nodded. “I guess I will never be truly ready to leave Liam, but I have to do it.”</p><p>“Well, you don’t <em>have </em>to,” Kara offered with a gentle smile. “Sam hadn’t bankrupted you yet, so I guess she’s doing a good job so far.”</p><p>“She is,” the brunette agreed with another sigh. “But I need to go back before I go insane.”</p><p>“I only got back to work when Alex was two and a half,” Eliza commented kindly. “I understand it’s a hard thing to do. But, don’t worry, Liam and I will be fine. If I managed to raise Alex without having her break any bones, I can do anything. That girl was like a monkey, climbing everything.”</p><p>Lena chuckled while Kara loudly laughed at the image of her sister as a baby trying to climb a tree just because she wasn’t supposed to. “I know he will be in very good hands.”</p><p>The blonde nodded along with her words before untangling her arm from her waist to clap once. “Okay, well, let’s go! We don’t want to be late.”</p><p>“Are you sure you don’t want me to give you a ride?” Lena asked while looking inside her purse to make sure everything she needed was there.</p><p>“I have been either walking to work or using the bus for two years now,” Kara replied with the same speech she was using for the past few days. “I will be fine. Besides, we’re not going to the same place.”</p><p>“CatCo and L-Corp are close enough.”</p><p>That was another bit of news. Lena had finally re-opened her family company, now with another name and with a different focus, and re-named it to L-Corp – not her very problematic last name, but still making some allusion to it. During all the time they were structuring the company – how it would be, how they would work, what would be their goals, searching for investors, starting minor projects, etc – Sam had been the face of L-Corp. She attended meetings when Lena couldn’t FaceTime, made sure everything was getting done the way Lena wanted them to be, hired people and took care of her other company as well, but now the youngest Luthor was ready to be back, to get another start on her long time life dreams, and to assume her chair. Sam would start working as the CFO and she looked actually relieved to step back for a bit.</p><p>“I’m fine,” Kara replied with a giggle as she walked over to kiss her mother’s cheek, then Liam’s head. “I will meet you for lunch, right?”</p><p>Lena nodded, sliding the purse upon her shoulder, and waited patiently until it was her turn to get a goodbye kiss. “Yes. I already told my assistant to leave a note downstairs that you’re supposed to be shown in right away whenever you show up.”</p><p>Kara stopped in front of her with a large smirk. “Oh, Rao. What a privilege,” she teased.</p><p>The younger woman rolled her eyes but tilted her head as though she was expecting a kiss. However, Kara walked around her instead and rushed to take the present she had hidden between Liam’s toys the day before. She walked back to Lena offering her the gift and smiled broadly when the other woman took it from her hand.</p><p>“Oh, Kara. You didn’t have to.”</p><p>“Well,” the blonde glanced over Lena’s shoulder to where her mother was smiling from the kitchen before looking back at the woman who owned her heart, “it’s a Danvers’ family tradition,” she explained. “First day of school, you get a planner.” Kara watched as a fond smile adorned Lena’s lips and took a second to allow her heart to recover from the striking view. “And I took the liberty to write down your first appointment.”</p><p>Lena took the ribbon from around the planner and turned the pages to find the one Kara had marked with a dog ear. There, written with a red sharpie, was ‘lunch with Kara at 12’. The younger woman shook her head fondly before taking a step closer to kiss the blonde again.</p><p>“Thank you so much, darling,” Lena whispered, hugging the planner against her chest.</p><p>Kara waved a hand to dismiss the whole thing and walked over to grab her cellphone, her laptop briefcase and wallet, then held the extra key out for Lena. “I will leave my key to my mom, in case she needs to leave for any reason. You take these.”</p><p>“What if you get home before I do?”</p><p>The blonde chuckled and touched the rim of her glasses with her index finger. “You keep forgetting I have several different ways to climb four floors.”</p><p>Lena smiled and took the keys from her. “Right. See you later?”</p><p>Kara opened the door, kissed her lips, then her cheeks, and winked at her. “Have a nice day at work, love.”</p><p>Kara walked to CatCo that morning feeling almost like she was stepping on the clouds above her. It was still startling every time she noticed how much her life had changed. She had her own small family, inside her small apartment, she was finally working on her dream job as a reporter, she had her new suit and she had awesome friends. There wasn’t much to complain about her life, not really.</p><p>Her morning went smoothly. She had a meeting with James and some other reporters to discuss their next edition, the first one after Cat had officially stepped away from the magazine, they finally establish what everyone would be responsible for, and Kara left with a plan already shaped inside her head. She talked with Nia since she was her shadow now and they were able to define their next steps until lunchtime. Then, Kara said her goodbyes, wished the girl a nice break, and walked out to grab lunch for Lena and her.</p><p>She met Lena’s assistant on her way to the woman’s office, a sweet girl named Jess – although she looked a bit anxious and barely spared Kara a glance after she announced who she was like she had too many things to do and not enough time. After offering the girl one of the milk-shakes she had bought, because she looked like she needed it more than Kara did – and because she had four of those – she finally knocked on Lena’s door. It screamed ‘office of the most important person around’ and all she had seen was the silver door. She waited until Lena gave her the green light before pushing it open and peeking her head inside.</p><p>“Hey,” the blonde greeted with barely contained happiness. “I got your favorite.”</p><p>Lena was sitting behind her desk, a white desk with several things spread around the surface and her chair managed to be taller than her, which Kara found extremely cute, albeit she wouldn’t share that particular thought. The younger woman looked up and a large smile instantly took over her slightly frowned expression.</p><p>“Kara,” she breathed, sounded almost relieved. “Come in.”</p><p>Without missing much time – she had only one hour break, after all – Kara walked straight to where Lena was sitting, leaned over to give her a peck while putting the take-out bags on top of her desk, and then smiled down at her. “How has your day being until now?”</p><p>Lena sighed, turning her chair around so she could face Kara instead of her computer. “Busy. Sam took care of most things, but, Rao, there’s still so much to do.” She must have noticed the way Kara smiled goofily at her because she tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. “What?”</p><p>“I’m brushing off on you,” Kara commented with a chuckle. “You said ‘Rao’.”</p><p>Lena frowned. “Guess I did. I better watch my mouth so I don’t do that in front of other people.”</p><p>The hero bent down again to kiss the top of her head. “It’s a shame. I liked it.” Smiling, she pointed at the frame located beside Lena’s computer. “I also liked the photo.”</p><p>It was one of the many pictures Lena had sneaked when she thought Kara wasn’t looking, but the hero would admit it was a damn good photo. It was one from when Liam had slept on top of her, laying his head against her chest, and it appeared like Kara had also fallen asleep sitting on the armchair while holding him securely with both of her arms perfectly positioned, but she knew she was awake by the way she was softly smiling. She thought back about that day – and she could remember it quite well because it was the last night they had spent in Lena’s apartment before she moved to Kara’s place – and she smiled when she heard Lena getting closer.</p><p>Lena had a glint in her eyes when she replied. “Gives me something to remind me why I shouldn’t stay here until late.”</p><p>“You certainly shouldn’t,” Kara whispered as her hand raised to cup the back of Lena’s neck to pull her in for a kiss. It was a little heavy for the work environment, but no one was going to walk in without permission first, so Kara was sure it was fine. When she pulled away, her eyes finally spotted the huge balcony behind Lena’s desk, the open windows going from the ceiling to the floor, and she raised one eyebrow. “Were you missing your balcony?”</p><p>Lena nudged her to take a step back so she would be able to get up from her chair and the blonde gladly gave her enough space to do so. “Well, turns out I know someone who can climb several floors in the most diverse ways, so I thought that putting a balcony here would be a good idea, actually.”</p><p>The brunette grabbed the bags of food and walked to a corner in her office that had a small coffee table, a two-seater couch, and a TV right in front of it. She put the bag on top of the coffee table and took a seat on the couch, smiling up at Kara when the blonde joined her.</p><p>“Are you under the impression that Supergirl will come and visit you?” The blonde teased as she reached for her burger and quirked her eyebrows.</p><p>“A Luthor and a Super?” Lena mocked right back. “Working together? That’s unheard of.”</p><p>“I think we could do great things together.”</p><p>They exchanged a secretive smirk, although there was no one else around, before they silently agreed that they should eat. Kara allowed Lena to steal as many fries as she wanted – albeit she did that because she couldn’t understand how the woman ate the vegan burger without having something to help her digest it – and she drank half of Lena’s milk-shake when the woman declared she was too full to drink it. By the time they were done, Lena had a meeting to attend and Kara had to go back to work, so they said their goodbyes again and parted ways.</p><p>“Thank you, Jess!” Kara happily shouted and waved on her way to the elevator.</p><p>The Asian woman behind the circular desk in front of Lena’s office looked up from her tablet and made a brief pause on her walk, since she was already strolling after Lena to join her, to offer her a tight, uncomfortable smile. But it was a smile and Kara wrote it down as a victory. She knew from personal experience that the assistants were the people responsible for keeping their bosses agendas working the right way and much of their lives went smoothly thanks to the work their assistants had to do, so she was going to make sure to recognize Jess’ work, since no one bothered to do that for her when she was in her place. However, she was 100% sure that it would be way easier working for Lena than it ever was working for Cat Grant, so perhaps the girl wouldn’t leave with as many scars as she did.</p><p>When Kara got back home that night it was after a Supergirl emergency, so it was later than she would have liked, and Lena was already there. She had clearly taken a shower, her face was clean from any make-up and she was wearing Kara’s National City University hoodie while drinking her tea, sitting on Kara’s old couch and reading a book. She smiled when she heard Kara coming in and she was ready to receive her kiss when Kara walked behind the couch to throw her laptop briefcase in the corner.</p><p>“How was the rest of your day?”</p><p>Green eyes followed her moves while she started to pick some clothes so she could jump in the shower before eating whatever Lena had made – she could smell it and it was driving her insane. Kara chose her comfortable DEO sweatpants and a sweater before she walked to the bathroom.</p><p>“It was mostly the same. Meetings and reports,” Lena replied, her eyes falling back to the book in her hand.</p><p>“And Liam?”</p><p>“Your mother said he took his naps and ate without a problem. She even bathed him before I got home, so I just had to breastfeed him. I’m afraid he already fell asleep, darling.”</p><p>A bit sad that she had missed bedtime, Kara walked back to the living room so she could take a look inside the crib. Liam was, as expected, sound asleep with his pacifier loosely hanging from his lips. She gently took it away, tugged the blanket closer to him and stepped away so she wouldn’t end up accidentally waking him up.</p><p>“I will take a shower and then you can tell me all about your day.”</p><p>“There’s nothing important to tell,” Lena sighed.</p><p>From inside the bathroom, Kara replied, “Well, I want to hear about it anyway. Just let me shower really quickly.”</p><p>She asked all about Lena’s day while she ate the fried rice the younger woman had made for them, sitting with her legs tugged underneath herself at one corner of her couch as her blue eyes studied Lena’s features with a soft gaze. The brunette told her about the boring things, the slightly exciting things, about her plans for the next day and about how Jess didn’t know what to do after Kara gave her one of the milk-shakes.</p><p>“I know it was hard for you to leave Liam after so long,” Kara commented once the woman was done talking, “but I can see it was the right decision.”</p><p>“How so?”</p><p>“You have a glint in your eyes,” the blonde chuckled. “You’re really excited to be working again.”</p><p>“Well, bringing the company back from the ashes is a real challenge and I have some pride in being able to do it, to be honest.”</p><p>“You should,” Kara winked and chuckled again when Lena blushed a little. “When are you going to show up at CatCo?”</p><p>“Wednesday, probably. I still have tons of work to do tomorrow at L-Corp,” Lena grabbed her book again, since she had put it aside to talk with Kara, and sighed. “Being the CEO of a company that I know nothing about will be even more challenging, so that will be fun.”</p><p>“You will be great, I know that,” Kara took the last bite from her plate and leaned over to put it on the coffee table, before returning to her position. “But we should probably talk about what we’re going to do once you’re there.”</p><p>Frowning, the other woman closed the book, marking the page with her finger, and turned her green eyes back at the blonde. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“I mean, well, you’re my boss, but you’re also my...” Kara paused, glanced at the bracelet around her wrist, and tried to fight back a smile.</p><p>She was trying not to smile every time her eyes caught a glimpse of the silver chain because it was a bit ridiculous, but so far she wasn’t successful on that. She was having some problems calling Lena her fiancée, though. Sure, the woman had basically proposed to her under Kryptonian custom, but they had no way to show that to society. No one would think the bracelet was an engagement symbol since, on Earth, that was just a bracelet. Kara was working on that, she really was, but she also had no idea it would cost so much to get what she was trying to get, so it was going to take her just a little longer.</p><p>“<em>Zhrymin</em>,” she finally found a word she could use. It slipped from her lips way easier than any other and it also made her feel like she was flying.</p><p>“Is that how you would call me on Krypton?” Lena asked while arching one eyebrow in question with a smirk.</p><p>Kara nodded. “That would be, yes.”</p><p>Lena hummed, put her book on top of the armrest, and crawled her way to where the blonde was sitting. Kara lied back so she could crawl on top of her and sighed contently when she felt the tip of Lena’s nose brushing against her neck. “I think we can make it work, don’t you? Me, being your boss,” she punctuated her words by biting Kara’s collarbone and the blonde hissed when a shiver ran down her spine. “And me, being your... <em>zhrymin</em>.”</p><p>Kara moaned lowly when Lena nibbled at her pulse point next, her hands rising to grab her ass. “Your Kryptonian is getting really good.”</p><p>“I have a very good teacher,” she whispered against the shell of the hero’s ear, almost causing a heart attack in the process.</p><p>Kara’s breath got stuck in the back of her throat for a couple of seconds, before it escaped in a breathless huff. “It’s a shame you had all that work done putting the red sun lamps in your bedroom and now we’re all the way here without it.”</p><p>Lena chuckled. “You have never hurt me, Kara. Red sun lamps or not. I’m not worried about that.” Her hands had found the hem of Kara’s sweater and her nails were scratching the soft skin of her stomach, which made the blonde squirm beneath her. “What I worry about is you not enjoying yourself because you’re afraid you will hurt me.”</p><p>Kara gasped when Lena’s fingers touched the skin under her boobs and her hands tried to press the woman closer to her. “Do you know what we should do?”</p><p>“Hm?”</p><p>“We should go back to Ireland.”</p><p>Lena froze on top of her, clearly not expecting to hear that, and she pulled away quite fast, which made Kara deflate a little bit. The brunette frowned and tilted her head to the side. “What?”</p><p>“It was good, wasn’t it?” Kara asked. “Just us for a whole week, just resting and enjoying each other.”</p><p>Lena nodded with a grimace. “Uh, yes, it was. It also happened three months ago and now I’m back to work. I can’t just stay a week away anymore.”</p><p>The blonde sighed. “I know. But Christmas is coming and I thought... well, I thought we could travel for a few days.”</p><p>“Kara, Christmas is a week away. Don’t you think it’s a little short notice?”</p><p>“Didn’t we decide to travel the night before we did it last time?” Kara argued back with one eyebrow raised.</p><p>“Okay, but...” Lena sat back down on top of Kara’s thighs to look at her more easily. “Your mother is in town, don’t you wish to spend the holiday with her?”</p><p>“No offense, Lena, but I’m an alien. Christmas is not my holiday. I mean, I love it, of course I do, it’s my favorite holiday, but I’m sure she won’t mind.” Kara shook her head a few times. “Also, Alex will be here and I know they have something planned. Ruby convinced Alex to take her ice skating, and someone will need to stitch them up.”</p><p>Lena huffed a laugh at that because she knew her friend hated the fact that her thirteen years old daughter so easily convinced Alex to agree with her crazy ideas. None of them had ever skated before and it was clearly leading to a disaster, but the girl was so excited that no one had the heart to tell her she would most likely end breaking a bone.</p><p>“Besides,” Kara continued, running her hands up and down Lena’s thighs, “this will be our first Christmas together. It has to be special. We can go, spend three days there, and come back for work, no problem.” Feeling that she would need more convincing, Kara pouted and tilted her head to the side just like Alex’s dog did when he wanted a treat. “I promise it’s going to be fun. And I will let you chose what we will do for New Years.”</p><p>“Not fair,” Lena rolled her eyes. “We already have plans for New Years. We’re going to Alex’s place, remember? She called all of your friends.”</p><p>“Our friends,” Kara corrected gently. “And I remember that, yes. What about you get to pick every New Year celebration for the rest of time?”</p><p>“Wow, you really want to go to Ireland, huh?” The brunette teased and bent down again, laying her head on Kara’s shoulder. “I was hoping you would like the place, but not that much.”</p><p>Kara scoffed. “You created a monster. How do you feel about that?”</p><p>“Surprisingly good, actually.” Lena chuckled against her and pressed a kiss on her neck. “Okay, we can go, but you’re going to pack Liam’s things this time.”</p><p>“Anything!” Kara promised as she punched the air in celebration. “Sweet! This is going to be amazing!”</p><p>“I hope you can tell your mother this was your idea,” Lena said a second later. “I don’t want her thinking that I’m taking you away from your family.”</p><p>Kara instantly stopped her celebration to coax Lena to look at her. With a hand gently cupping her face and a thumb brushing against her jaw, Kara made sure the green eyes were focused on her before she spoke. “<em>You</em> are my family. You and Liam are part of my family now, sure, but you <em>are </em>my family. Don’t forget that, okay?”</p><p>Green eyes filled with tears and Lena bit her bottom lip to stop it from trembling, but the blonde could see her struggle. Hugging her against her chest, Kara sighed happily when Lena rested against her. They remained in silence for a while, just enjoying each other’s presence and a soothing hug after a long day of work, until Kara decided to talk again.</p><p>“Did Liam crawl while I was out?”</p><p>Liam had that tiny crawling situation when they were in Ireland, but he had refused to do the same ever since. He would bounce on his knees and hands, sit on his butt and roll around like crazy, but he hadn’t tried to crawl again. Kara was afraid he would decide to do that when she wasn’t around and then she would miss a huge milestone in his life.</p><p>“No,” Lena answered. “It will happen when we least expect, you will see.”</p><p>“Just like his first words,” Kara commented. “What are they going to be again?”</p><p>They figured out that their little game was very amusing and they kept coming up with crazy random words Liam could say first. So far, their favorite one was 'otter', simply because it would be very cute.</p><p>Lena thought for a few seconds to find another crazy word they hadn’t used yet, before she excitedly answered. “Cowboy hat.”</p><p>“Cowboy hat?” Kara mocked. “In which context are we going to say cowboy hat close to him so he would learn those words?”</p><p>“Well, we just did it twice, didn’t we?”</p><p>“Yeah, but he’s sleeping!”</p><p>Lena giggled. “So, keeping the music playing while he sleeps is a waste of time?”</p><p>Kara would be the first one to admit that the music gently filling her apartment was quite soothing. She always loved music and there was always something playing inside her apartment, but there was something different from having Lena there with her while some romantic song was playing in the background. Right now, ‘Can’t help falling in love’ was playing and she smiled lovingly when the lyrics hit her hard.</p><p>Lena must have noticed to where her thoughts had drifted to because she slowly untangled her from Kara to stand up. Then, she reached out with her hand. “Dance with me, come on.”</p><p>The blonde didn’t have to think too much before accepting the invitation, but she gave Lena a look as she slipped her hand on hers. “I didn’t know you like to dance.”</p><p>“I hate to dance,” Lena quickly denied and pulled Kara around the coffee table so they would have just the tiniest space to move. “But I think I will love to do it with you.”</p><p>“Is that so?” Kara asked with a giggle poorly hidden from her words.</p><p>“I must warn you, though, that I can’t dance.”</p><p>“Show me what you got,” the blonde teased with a wink.</p><p>Rolling her eyes and smiling, Lena started to move. First, she reached out to hold Kara’s other hand as well, then she moved her left shoulder back, making Kara follow her move by going forward. She repeated it with her right shoulder, then her left, then right, until they were gently swaying. After they found a rhythm, Lena took one step back, so Kara had to take one step forward. She did the same with the other leg, before she made the inverse.</p><p>Kara was smiling so brightly at her that Lena honestly thought she was staring right back at the sun. And Kara was feeling her heart swell to accommodate all the love she was feeling at that moment. Once again, after they had found a pace, Lena decided to change. She let go of Kara’s left hand so she could raise her left arm to make the blonde spin under her arm. The blonde giggled happily while she did the move, but, when she was facing Lena again, the woman was fast to pull her in instead of keeping her at an arm length. Kara easily found the perfect place for her hands to rest – one against Lena’s shoulder and the other one being held by Lena’s hand – and she rested her chin on top of her back of her hand, closing her eyes to enjoy the feeling of the brunette’s arm wrapping around her waist.</p><p>Right there, gently swaying on their feet while Elvis sang in the background and Liam slept behind them, Kara was sure there were very few things in life that could make her feel better than that.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kara: You know, Lena's lipstick tastes really good.<br/>Alex: Oh, my God! I get it! You two have kissed! You two kiss all the time! You're dating, you're happy, you're kissing, you tasted her lipstick, gee.<br/>Lena: Oh, no, she wasn't talking about that. She ate my lipstick.<br/>Alex: She... what?<br/>Lena: I know.<br/>Kara *is actually proud of herself*</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Happily Ever After</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You guys! This has been such a long run! 30 chapters, +200k words, so many nice comments! I don't have enough words to thank everyone who read, commented, gave me kudos and bookmarked this fic. This was, by far, my most successful fic and I'm grateful for every single one of you.</p><p>Sarah, you have been the sweetest since the start. Thank you so much for your help being my proofreader, giving me tips and making sure I was in the right way. If there was one thing this fic brought me was you and I'm thankful!</p><p>For me, this journey was crazy! I started posting every day, life got on the way and I had to change it, on the last few chapter I barely had time to engage with comments or even write, and, to finish it all off, some health issues almost made me stop writing, but I pushed through the pain (I have chronic pain in my wrists) because I wanted to keep bringing you guys some sort of joy, as silly as it could be.</p><p>If you met my work because of this fic, if you had never heard of me before, I have over 100 fics posted on this website, most of them being about Supergirl, so you can go check them as well!</p><p>To everyone who read it from the start, who got here in the middle, who will start this after it's done, thank you!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Don’t peek!”</p><p>“I’m not peeking!”</p><p>“Keep your eyes closed.”</p><p>Chuckling, Kara squeezed the hand holding hers. “They are.”</p><p>“I’m serious.”</p><p>“Lena,” the hero chastised with a giggle, “I’m not looking.”</p><p>The younger of the duo smiled, although her fiancée couldn’t see it, and she kept carefully leading the way down the sidewalk, making sure Kara wouldn’t bump into anything. The front yard was decorated with small colorful flowers, the grass was green and the concrete sidewalk made a straight way towards the front door of the house where they had just parked.</p><p>The property was surrounded by a tall living wall, the green making it impossible for anyone to look inside or outside. The front door was black, as were the windows as well, the wall holding the door and the living room window was made with red brick, there was a garage by the side and a few more flowers hanging from the windows. The house had two floors, big and modern, and Lena had fallen in love with it since the first time the real estate agent showed her the pictures.</p><p>The house had five rooms, definitely more than they would need, two of them with bathrooms, there was also a large living room, a modern kitchen, two other bathrooms and a huge backyard. Lena had visited the house twice before deciding to bring Kara to take a look and she just knew that was the place they were looking for. It was located halfway between CatCo and L-Corp, it was secluded thanks to the wall surrounding it, and it fits them well. She would just have to convince Kara of the same.</p><p>“Okay,” Lena said when she helped Kara to climb the small step that leads to the front door. “You can open your eyes when I say 3.” She pushed the door open and moved to stand behind Kara so she could undo the knot on the blindfold covering the hero’s eyes. “One.” She pulled the blindfold off and bit her bottom lip. “Two.” Lena guided Kara inside the house with a gentle push. “Three.”</p><p>The brunette wasn’t watching Kara’s face, but she heard the gasp that escaped her lips. It was loud and clearly shocked, and Lena held her breath while she waited for the other woman to say something.</p><p>“Lena!” Kara turned her head to look around, taking into everything, before she glanced at Lena with her jaw hanging open. “What is this place?”</p><p>Lena bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath. “Well, this...” she walked around Kara so she could stand in front of her, opening her arms to gesticulate at everything, “if you like our tour, is our future house.”</p><p>Blue eyes widened in surprise and Kara immediately started shaking her head. “Lena, I don’t need to know the price to know I can’t afford it. I mean, look at the size of it!”</p><p>Lena sighed, approaching her slowly, and cradled one of Kara’s hand between hers. “Hear me out-“</p><p>“No.” Kara shook her head more vehemently. “Lena, we agreed that we would share the price equally and it’s clear I wouldn’t have enough money to even buy this door!”</p><p>“Come on, it’s not that expensive.”</p><p>“I don’t want to know how much it costs!” The hero scoffed before she softened her features. “I’m sorry, love, but... I can’t pay for this.”</p><p>“That’s why you need to hear me out,” Lena quickly jumped in with a grin. “I know you said you wanted to pay for it as well, but... I don’t think we’re going to find anything better than this.”</p><p>“Lena, my apartment is the size of the living room we’re standing in,” Kara pointed out. “I’m sure we don’t need anything so big.”</p><p>Lena sighed, her shoulders dropping. “Can you at least take a look? I will show you everything and then, if you like it, we can discuss the subject again.”</p><p>It was clear by the way Kara was frowning that she was going to say no – reluctant to accept anything that she didn’t judge as fair – so Lena tilted her head to the side, curled her eyebrows and pouted just a little bit. She was maybe using Kara’s weapon against herself? Yes, but she wasn’t feeling guilty about it.</p><p>“Please, darling?”</p><p>Kara groaned between clenched teeth, clearly unhappy with the turn of events, and sighed. “You know I can’t say no when you call me that.”</p><p>Lena smiled at her as innocently as she could. “You won’t regret it, I promise.”</p><p>The hero sighed again before nodding. “Okay, fine, but it’s only a look!”</p><p>Of course, as soon as Lena started showing her the house, Kara started falling in love with it as well – not that she was going to admit it aloud.</p><p>“I thought we could use this room as my office,” Lena said while showing one of the rooms on the first floor. “The room across the hall can be a place for us to keep our books and some of Liam’s toys so he can easily grab them.”</p><p>When they moved to the second floor, Lena was talking so excitedly about everything that it was clear how much she wanted Kara to like it as well. The blonde kept stealing glances at her, half amused and half worried about how she would have to crush Lena’s heart by not being able to pay for any of this. CatCo gave her a more generous paycheck than most of their employees got and the DEO was also very grateful for her works as the city’s superhero, but Kara wasn’t rich. There was a reason why she lived in a studio apartment, even though she loved the apartment that once belonged to her sister.</p><p>Even the fact that they were looking for a place to buy gave her the heebie-jeebies because they were talking about her life savings, while Lena was probably talking about a month’s profits from one of her companies.</p><p>“This is the master room, we can put the bed on that wall so it’s facing the large windows.” Lena had plans for every room, apparently, which made it a bit harder for Kara not to fall into her excitement as well. “This can be Liam’s room, it also has a bathroom. He might like it after he grows. And you can use the room across the hall as you like. Make a training room or a ‘Dad’s Jokes Club’ meeting point.”</p><p>“And the other one?” Kara asked after chuckling softly, pointing at the room down the hall.</p><p>“Well, for now, it can be the guest room.”</p><p>“And later?” The blonde arched one eyebrow in questioning.</p><p>The brunette cleared her throat, looking a bit nervous. “If we ever decide to have more kids, it can be their room.”</p><p>Kara nodded, however, her mood quickly changed when she sighed sadly. “This place is wonderful, Lena. It has everything we need and more. But...”</p><p>“Don’t say ‘but’ just yet.” Lena raised a finger to shush her. “I will buy this house for us and-“</p><p>“Not a chance. I won’t let you buy a house alone when-“</p><p>“Kara,” the younger woman pointedly interrupted her with both eyebrows raised. “Let me finish.” The blonde blushed at that and one hand rose to fidget with her glasses, but she shyly pointed for her to continue. “I will buy this house. I have the money. More money than I need, believe me. Even more so now that I’m the only Luthor at a legal age that isn’t behind bars. You need to trust me when I say that it will not be a problem for me. However, I know you wouldn’t feel great about it, so, instead of giving money to buy the house, you can buy the furniture instead. All this house has is the kitchen and the laundry room, so we will need to buy everything else. We have a few things in my old apartment and some other stuff at your place, we can bring it all here, sell the ones we won’t need and you can pay for everything else.”</p><p>Kara didn’t say anything right away, and Lena kept staring at her with hopeful green eyes while waiting for a reaction – either positive or negative. When nothing came, she tilted her head to the side and furrowed her brows.</p><p>“What do you say?”</p><p>“This... This is actually a good idea.”</p><p>Lena couldn’t help but snort at that. “Why are you so surprised? I’m full of good ideas.”</p><p>Kara giggled. “You sure are.”</p><p>“So... What do you say? We have a house?”</p><p>Smiling broadly, Kara replied, “With one condition.”</p><p>Lena only hesitated for a second before asking, “What?”</p><p>“We will get a dog.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>"Did you grab Liam's puppy?"</p><p>Nodding without missing a beat, Kara also smiled while looking at Lena. "Of course! Wouldn’t forget it."</p><p>As the shorter woman turned around to keep putting their suitcase inside the luggage compartment on top of the seats, Kara quickly opened the bag she had in her hands to see if she had, in fact, grabbed Liam's puppy. It was there, so she sighed in relief and took it out to put on the baby's lap, winking at him. Liam just stared back at her, blinking from his place comfortably lying on his carrier, but his little hand started touching around to find the plush puppy.</p><p>"I saw that."</p><p>"No, you didn’t."</p><p>Chuckling, Lena spun back around to give her a pointed look, but Kara kept her innocent look while trying to find a place for Liam's carrier on one of the seats. Finally, Lena snorted and leaned over to pinch the blonde's side, causing her to squeak and jump away from her. They exchanged an amused look before going back to their tasks.</p><p>"Well, we're all set." Kara clapped once after she securely locked the carrier. "Let's go!"</p><p>Lena shook her head with a smile. "Someone is overly excited."</p><p>"I can't wait to start Christmasing with you,” the blonde declared while wiggling her eyebrows.</p><p>The brunette pulled away when Kara tried to kiss her, raising her eyebrows and pursing her lips. "Are you going to quote Christmas songs all weekend?"</p><p>"Only the good ones," Kara replied, wrapping her arms around Lena's waist. "And you're going to love it. <em>Because as long as you love me so, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow,</em>” she sang.</p><p>Lena scoffed as one of her hands raised to touch the nape of the hero's neck to play with the small hairs in there. "You're incorrigible."</p><p>"And you," Kara paused to take a huge intake of breath, dramatically puffing her chest and sang, "<em>you're a mean one, Mr. Grinch</em>."</p><p>"That's it," Lena shoved her away, rolling her eyes, while Kara laughed so loud that she had to lean against one of the seats as she clutched her stomach. "You're way too smiley today. I don't have enough energy for this." Shaking her head, Lena fell in her favorite seat, put her seatbelt on and grabbed her phone in a clear attempt to ignore the other woman. "You’re now in charge of putting our luggage away.”</p><p>Laugh slowly dying, Kara leaned to put the rest of their suitcases in place. She would have made fun of Lena being too short to do it herself, but she knew her limits. Although, to be fair, the suitcases were too heavy for her to lift, so it was probably more of a strength problem than a height problem. She was not going to make fun of it either way. She would like to get a kiss before the flight, after all.</p><p>"I have reasons to be smiley,” Kara responded with a scoff. “We're going to Ireland. It’s Christmas, Santa will be coming soon and..." She paused then, eyes going wide, and she slowly turned her head to look at Lena. "What if Santa is an alien? And he invades Earth every Christmas."</p><p>Lena arched one eyebrow, totally unimpressed. "That theory is ridiculous. Even if he was real, I doubt he would be invading Earth."</p><p>"Why?" Kara asked and tilted her head to the side as though she was actually considering it.</p><p>"Only a silly alien would come to Earth when there are so many other planets to go instead."</p><p>The way Lena said it - serious, without cracking a smile and without glancing from her phone - was what made Kara laugh again. She loved it when Lena tried to tease her like that, it made her feel... well, happy. Still laughing, she leaned over, resting one hand against the seat and another one on the small table in front of the seat, and brushed her lips against the shell of the brunette's ear.</p><p>"Joke is on you," she whispered. "I was sent here, I didn't have a choice."</p><p>Lena hummed, trying not to look impressed or affected by it. "Sounds like how my family works."</p><p>The hero chuckled lowly and kissed the woman’s temple. "Do you think Lillian would be offended if I called her silly like you just did to my mom?"</p><p>"She would have you killed." A pause - Kara could see Lena's jaw working to hold back her smile - and then Lena tilted her head to throw her a look. “And don’t you dare tell Eliza I called her silly. I know you. You will say I called <em>her</em> silly instead of... your mother.”</p><p>Kara snorted a laugh as she pulled away to sit down at the seat across from Lena. “Alura,” she informed the woman with a slightly sad smile. “She was a judge, you know?”</p><p>“I didn’t know,” Lena replied softly.</p><p>“Yep,” the blonde nodded. “She had a twin sister, Astra. They looked exactly the same, save the hair. My aunt was a general, part of the military. Twins were extremely rare back in Krypton, so that was a shock to everyone, I’m sure.”</p><p>“I like when you tell me about your family,” Lena confessed quietly after the blonde fell in silence. “From Krypton or from here. You have a very special way to talk about them.”</p><p>“How so?”</p><p>“It’s clear you love them,” Lena smiled almost sorrowfully. “I’m not used to that, you know. A family who loves you instead of trying to kill you.”</p><p>“It’s a good thing you have me now, isn’t it?” Kara threw her a wink, albeit her lips were curled in a lovingly smile.</p><p>Lena nodded distractedly at her, her smile crooked and warm. “Despite the ridiculous things you do sometimes, I can agree with that.”</p><p>“What? Name <em>one</em> ridiculous thing I have done!”</p><p>Just as she said that, there was a high pitched noise coming from the speakers, much like the first time they had traveled to Ireland. Kara pushed her lips tightly together, looking very guilty out of sudden, and the brunette narrowed her eyes at her.</p><p>“Ladies and baby gentleman,” came the voice from Captain Shoreway. The poor man sounded thwarted, as though he would rather be doing literally anything else, and Lena could picture the impassive man reading a piece of paper and wishing he worked for someone else. “We’re about to take flight. Be sure you have your seatbelts on. We will be arriving in Ireland at 2 pm, local time, so enjoy this time to take a nap because no one likes a grumpy person.” Lena rolled her eyes so hard that Kara, for a brief second, wondered if they might have never returned back to normal. “The lady from seat 2A wishes to tell the lady from seat 2B that she’s looking dazzling today. Have a nice flight.”</p><p>“I will give you that one,” Kara declared after a minute of silence where Lena just stared at her like she was saying ‘see’. The blonde cleared her throat and squirmed on her seat, making a show of looking uncomfortable. Then, she glanced up with a large smile. “But you asked this ridiculous woman to marry you, so the joke is on you again.”</p><p>Lena shrugged, her eyes falling back to her phone screen. “I don’t recall it.”</p><p>“Take it back,” the blonde gasped. “I didn’t spend hours learning how to say wife in Irish for you to back away now!”</p><p>Intrigued, green eyes moved back up. “Did you actually learn it?”</p><p>“I don’t know, I guess you will have to wait and find out,” Kara teased. “Unless you can’t recall it.”</p><p>“Fine,” Lena replied with a huff. “But you better make it worth it.”</p><p>They landed in Galway at the exact time Captain Shoreway had said they would, which earned him a high-five from Kara, that the man weirdly accepted still looking stone-faced. Lena made a mental note to add something into his paycheck because the man was far from being ready to have to deal with Kara’s eccentricities.</p><p>Their first stop, under Kara’s insistence, was at the same place they ate pie the first time they went to Galway together. Then, they had to run to the supermarket to be able to buy something before all the stores closed for the holiday. It was the day before Christmas Eve and, as soon as Lena parked the car in front of a small market, Kara declared they also needed to run to buy a Christmas tree.</p><p>“I thought you have said Christmas isn’t your holiday.”</p><p>“Yes, but I still love it!” Kara laughed. “You go, I will try to find us a tree, we only have twenty minutes before it all closes.”</p><p>Lena frowned. “Do you even know how to walk around here?”</p><p>“I’m not going to get lost,” the blonde declared with another laugh. “Don’t worry.”</p><p>“Kara, Alex told me about the time you lost yourself inside a Walmart, I’m not sure about this.”</p><p>“First of all,” the hero crossed her arms, “I had just got on Earth when that happened. Second, Alex promised she would stop telling this story to everyone. And, third, I can find you if I get lost.”</p><p>Lena quirked one eyebrow. “No flying around.”</p><p>“Not flying. I just have to follow your heart.” Kara thought she deserved a pat on her back when she noticed how Lena just melted in front of her, her features softening entirely. It also made her remember that she still had to tell the woman about the things Kal had said her about the way Kryptonians connect, but perhaps she would find a way soon. “We only have eighteen minutes now and I want a tree.”</p><p>“Fine. But call me in case you need anything.”</p><p>Lena seemed really afraid that Kara, an alien with superpowers, would get lost in a foreign country in the time period where GPS existed and when the woman could easily find her by just listening a bit more closely. It was cute, Kara had to admit, so she leaned over to give her a peck before turning on her heels to walk away, giving Lena the green light to start her shopping with Liam in town.</p><p>Kara, on the other hand, was not even slightly worried about getting lost. She had studied Galway’s streets enough to know she would be able to find the Christmas tree and the other thing she was looking for without a problem. She just had to make it work before Lena was done with her shopping and before all the stores closed. The hero was confident she could do it. She did, after all, stopped numerous aliens attacks, survived her planet exploding and meeting Lena without having a heart attack, so she could fetch a ring in the middle of Ireland without causing a catastrophe.</p><p>When she decided to give Lena an engagement ring to follow Earth traditions as well, her mind immediately went to the conversation they had when the woman gave her the bracelet. She was reminded of Lena’s explanation of the Claddagh ring, what it meant, how important that was in Ireland and how important it was for her to give something similar to Kara. So, naturally, that was exactly what she wanted to give Lena as well. She spoke with several jewelry shops back in National City and even closer cities around, but none of them worked with that type of design, and the few that accepted the job didn’t show her much credibility. Therefore, the obvious solution was to go back to the land that produced them as a tradition.</p><p>They had no plans to go back to Ireland so soon, though, so Kara had to find out how to do it. She called, talked with people, and studied the situation for weeks before finding a jewelry shop that agreed on doing it and started working with her to make the perfect ring for Lena. The woman who talked with her, Laiose, was very straightforward, even on the phone, and Kara got nervous and emotional a couple of times, but she managed to tell her exactly what she wanted. Of course, when Laiose put the price tag on the ring, Kara almost passed out. That was a lot of her savings and it was going to a single ring.</p><p>It was worth it, though. Laiose had sent her a picture the day before to make sure the ring was how she wished it to be and Kara was in love with it ever since. She may have opened the photo a thousand times when Lena wasn’t around too. She showed it to Alex, J’onn, James, Brainy, Nia, Sam, she even sent the photo to Lucy and Maggie, simply because she was too happy to keep it to herself.</p><p>The ring was, in her opinion, breathtaking. It was beautiful, perfect even. The Claddagh ring was made in white gold – because she knew Lena doesn’t really enjoy flashy things – and it had tiny diamonds in the cuffs, around the heart’s center and in the crown. Other than that, the heart’s center was made with a single emerald for two reasons: it reminded her of Lena’s eyes and it was also Liam’s birthstone. Well, ironically it was hers and Liam’s birthstone, if she took into consideration her Earth birthday.</p><p>And, if the pictures looked nice, she could only imagine how the real ring would look like.</p><p>Unsure where to go, Kara fished for her phone so she could open Google Maps. She was Supergirl, but she wasn’t a GPS. No one could blame her. She wasn’t the best with coordinates, she wasn’t going to lie about it, but it wasn’t so hard to find the store she was looking for. Hard to miss a huge, fancy, bright and flashy jewelry store in the middle of all the other ones, smaller and less shiny.</p><p>“Good morning, how can I help you?” the nice-looking guy behind the counter greeted her as soon as the bell rang above her head.</p><p>Kara offered him a smile while walking over at him and fidget with her glasses for a second. “Hi! My name is Kara. I had been talking over the phone with Laiose about a ring.”</p><p>“Of course,” the man nodded. “I will go get her. Just wait here for a second.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>While the man walked away, Kara allowed her eyes to get a little adventurous, looking around the expensive bracelets, necklaces, earrings and other jewelry she would never have enough money to buy. She glanced at her watch, noticing she had been gone for only two and a half minutes. Thankfully, shortly after she heard two people approaching her and, sure enough, when she looked up she saw the guy from before coming back with a gentle-looking lady.</p><p>The woman smiled brightly at her. “Are you Kara? It’s nice to put a face to the name.”</p><p>Kara chuckled politely and offered her hand for the woman to shake. After they took a step back, the blonde nodded. “That’s me, yes. We have been talking for some time.”</p><p>“Yes, we have!” Laiose winked at her, before changing back to a more professional stance. “I get that you’re here to take your ring?”</p><p>“I am,” Kara agreed while ducking her head, a blush reddening her cheeks.</p><p>“Is the lucky lady here as well?”</p><p>She chuckled nervously, her nose scrunching. “She’s at the market right now.”</p><p>“Well, we better be fast then,” the woman smiled again. “You don’t want to ruin the surprise, I’m sure.” Kara only nodded, mostly because Laiose was already opening a drawer to grab a small black squared box. “Take a look and tell me if that’s what you had in mind.”</p><p>Kara held her breath while Laiose opened the box and turned it around for her to look at the ring perfectly lying on the cushion. They had spoken at least five times over the phone and she had seen pictures of it already, so she wasn’t surprised to see Laiose had managed to make her exactly what she had asked for, but that didn’t stop her from gasping in surprise. And because she was hit with all the feels as well, obviously.</p><p>The tears that burned in the back of her eyes were very real, just like the slight tremble in her fingers when she reached out to brush a finger over the ring. “This is...” she stopped, swallowed the lump that rose on her throat, and chuckled breathlessly. “This is beautiful.”</p><p>“Thank you, dear,” Laiose had a proud smile – and Kara thought she had all the right to be proud of her work because damn. “Is this what you wanted?”</p><p>“That’s more than I could ever have imagined,” Kara admitted with another huff. “It’s truly... mesmerizing.”</p><p>“Well, if I’m allowed to say this, I believe your loved one will be very pleased.”</p><p>“I’m sure she will,” Kara agreed while nodding fervently.</p><p>“Let’s wrap this so you can go back to her then, right?”</p><p>Kara left the shop a few minutes after with the jewelry box securely being held by a strong grip. She found the second store in less than a minute and she also left smiling, although holding just a small Christmas tree. It would do because nothing could break her good mood, not even the lack of options on trees. The hero walked back to the market almost jumping happily. She made a quick stop to put the tree inside the car’s trunk before entering the market and walking straight to the information balcony at the corner.</p><p>A minute later, the young man behind the counter announced for the whole place to hear that: “Ms. Luthor, your kid is waiting for you at the information desk.”</p><p>While waiting, Kara sat at one of the white plastic stools located close to the door and tried to look as innocent as she could gather. When Lena rounded a corner, with her brows furrowed, pursed lips and pushing a cart with a few items and Liam’s carrier inside, Kara shot her a bright smile. The brunette rolled her eyes as soon as she spotted her and walked towards Kara.</p><p>“You’re ridiculous,” she declared when she stopped in front of the hero.</p><p>Kara’s smile only got larger. “You love it.”</p><p>“My kid?” Lena raised one eyebrow at her.</p><p>“You keep saying I’m worse than Liam sometimes.”</p><p>“You are, like right now,” the younger woman moved to take Liam’s carrier out the cart and put the carrier with the sleeping baby by Kara’s foot. “Take care of him while I pay for the food.” Then, she turned around to the young man behind the counter and pointed a finger at him. “You, take care of both of them and don’t announce anything else she asks you to.”</p><p>The man gulped and nodded, but he took a step back as though he was scared. Kara found it extremely funny and started laughing while Lena pushed the cart towards the register. Proud of herself, the blonde bent to brush some of Liam’s hair with her fingers, knowing Lena was trying not to look as amused as she certainly was.</p><p>After she paid, Lena walked back holding a few bags and sighed. “Come on, baby.” And, just as Kara was picking up Liam’s carrier, the brunette shot her a look. “I was talking to you, by the way.”</p><p>Instead of getting offended, Kara laughed and moved to pick some of the bags from Lena’s hand. “I have no problem with you calling me that.”</p><p>“I’m aware.” Unable to hold it for any longer, Lena smiled at the taller woman and got on the tip of her toes to kiss Kara’s cheek. “Let’s go, <em>acushla</em>, I have a pie to bake.”</p><p>“I have no idea what that means, and I hope it’s not ‘idiot’, but I like it.”</p><p>Lena chuckled. “Irish for darling.”</p><p>They were already reaching the car and Lena quickly deactivated the alarm so she could open the door for Kara to place Liam’s carrier on the back seat.</p><p>Kara hummed, putting the carrier inside and the bags on the floor, before she leaned over to pull the seatbelt to keep the baby safe. “Well, my <em>zhao</em>, I like it.”</p><p>When the blonde straightened her body and turned to look at Lena, putting her arm on top of the open door, the brunette smirked. “If you want the Christmas tree ready tonight, you better not give me that look.”</p><p>“What look?”</p><p>“This one right there,” Lena pointed at her face and narrowed her eyes. “The one you give me when you want to rip my clothes off.”</p><p>Although she didn’t deny it, Kara blushed a deep shade of red. “Well, you <em>are </em>looking dazzling.”</p><p>The Luthor laughed loudly and pulled Kara down by the front of her shirt to kiss her, not carrying that they were in the middle of the sidewalk or that she was trying to look annoyed. “You know,” she started, whispering against Kara’s lips as her fingers skimmed at the skin under the curve of the hero’s jaw, “before I met you, I never laughed as much as I do now.”</p><p>The blonde smiled broadly and kissed her again. “Some of my dad’s jokes are good, then? Is that what you’re saying?”</p><p>“I never said that.”</p><p>“But that’s what I heard.”</p><p>Lena tried to shove her away, rolling her eyes, but Kara refused to move. “You won’t be getting anything for Christmas if you don’t let me go right now.”</p><p>“All I want for Christmas is you, so I’m fine with that.” The hero shrugged, looking as nonchalant as she could manage.</p><p>“Oh, my God, Kara! Enough with the songs!”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“<em>Here comes Santa Claus.</em>”</p><p>“Stop.”</p><p>“<em>Here comes Santa Claus</em>.”</p><p>“Kara.”</p><p>“<em>Right down Santa Claus lane!</em>”</p><p>Sighing, Lena rolled on the bed so she was facing the direction of Kara’s voice and cracked one eye open, not ready to be fully awake just yet. The blonde was, as expected, staring right back at her with a big smile. What she wasn’t expecting, of course, was the Santa hat on her head or the babbling baby on her lap, wearing a smaller version of the same hat. Surprised, and totally in love with the image, Lena closed her eye again and opened a large smile.</p><p>“What did I do to deserve two Santa Clauses?”</p><p>Kara laughed and, probably because he heard it, Liam joined her shortly after. “I thought about putting an elf hat on Liam, but we’re in Ireland. People would think he’s a leprechaun.”</p><p>“People?” Lena opened her eyes finally and gave her an amused glare. “How many people you think will be showing up?”</p><p>“I know about your habit of sneaking photos of us,” Kara chuckled and moved Liam to sit on the bed when the baby started fussing too much, his hands trying to reach Lena.</p><p>The younger woman opened her arms so Liam could throw himself at her, doing his best to hug his mom although he didn’t know what it was, before she looked back at Kara and saw the soft look on her face. Lena smiled and reached her free hand to grab Kara’s, giving it a squeeze.</p><p>“Merry Christmas, my darling.”</p><p>The blonde shared her smile, leaning down to peck her lips. “Merry Christmas, <em>zhao</em>.” After she pulled away, Kara moved her hand to pat Liam’s back. “I was thinking we could make breakfast together. We can open our presents while we eat.”</p><p>That’s how they found themselves sitting in front of the fireplace half an hour later. Kara was holding a hot chocolate mug while Lena was gingerly drinking her tea. Liam was sitting on the floor between Kara’s legs, throwing his hands around and laughing at nothing when the pompon on his hat fell in front of his eyes when the blonde pushed it there. Lena was not going to admit she had a habit of sneaking photos of the two of them, but she did sneak a photo before sitting down beside her small family.</p><p>“Okay, so, Alex, Eliza, J’onn, James and Sam all had presents for Liam,” Kara announced while looking at the small pile of gifts she had put together the night before. Their friends made sure to give them all their gifts before they left and it was very heart-warming to see how much they all loved and cared for Liam. “Should we open them, champ?”</p><p>All Liam did was laugh, so Kara took it was a positive answer. He got new toys and new clothes from everyone. Of course, Sam had to go out of her way and buy the three of them a set of matching pajamas. All Supergirl merch, of course. Lena rolled her eyes and swore she would never wear it, but Kara loved it and immediately picked her phone up to thank Sam and everyone else. Then, it was their time to spoil Liam, which they did with the number of gifts they got the boy.</p><p>After, while Liam was playing on the floor with his new plushes, Lena gave her a new watch, a leather laptop suitcase, matching necklace and earrings, and many kisses, which were Kara’s favorite part, no doubt. In return, the blonde gave her some very soft slippers because she kept stealing Kara’s, a board game called Punderdome just to make fun of her – and to play at the next game night, for sure - , a Star Wars chess board because Lena was such a nerd, and three books Lena had talked with her about getting soon. The brunette also won many kisses, just to clarify.</p><p>Kara wanted to walk through the Cliffs of Maher later that day but, as usual in Ireland, it was pouring rain most of the day. Which she was not okay with. She had planned to take Lena there and, just as the sun was about to set, give her the ring. It would be special and beautiful, and she had every detail planned. What she couldn’t control was the weather, though.</p><p>That killed her mood a little, and Lena quickly noticed it and started asking her what was wrong. Kara tried to say nothing was wrong, but it was clear by the way she kept glancing outside the window that something was going on.</p><p>“Kara, that is the fifth time you pushed the curtains to look outside,” Lena pointed out suddenly. “I’m sorry to break it to you, darling, but Santa isn’t real. He’s not coming with his reindeer.”</p><p>Kara sighed as she walked away from the window to plop down on the couch beside Lena. “I wish we could go outside.”</p><p>Lena chuckled softly at her annoyance with the weather and started running a hand down the blonde hair, her new book forgotten on top of her lap. “There’s nothing outside, darling. It’s dry and warm in here.”</p><p>“It smells like cookies too,” Kara added with a grin.</p><p>The brunette laughed and nodded. “Yes, it does. So, why do you want to go outside?”</p><p>Kara turned her head to look at the other woman and opened her mouth to reply, just as a new idea formed inside her head. Sitting up straight, Kara excitedly reached out for Lena’s hand and pulled her to her feet.</p><p>“Kara, what are you doing?”</p><p>“I’m feeling too excited to sit still,” Kara admitted with a giggle. “Dance with me.”</p><p>Lena tried to stop her by tugging at her hand, but Kara gently pushed the coffee table away with her foot and made sure Liam was still playing close to the couch and that they would have enough space to sway together.</p><p>“Kara, what are you doing?” she repeated.</p><p>The blonde said nothing as she put both hands on Lena’s hips and started to change her weight from one foot to the other. “I’m dancing with you, Ms. Luthor.”</p><p>Resting her hands against Kara’s shoulders, Lena quirked one eyebrow. “I can see that. But why?”</p><p>Rather than kiss her as she wanted, the blonde leaned away and reached out to tug a strand of hair behind Lena’s ear. “I’m happy,” Kara responded with a goofy smile as she tilted her head to skim the tip of her nose along Lena’s jaw and neck. “Really happy.”</p><p>Lena sighed contently, her eyes falling closed, and she turned her head to give Kara more room to hide her face on the crook of her neck. “I can tell.”</p><p>“Really?” The blonde teased and pressed a quick kiss against the pale skin close to her lips. “Can you tell me why I’m so happy?”</p><p>“Because you’re crazy most likely,” Lena commented with a shrug. “I mean, I don’t think I ever saw you being anything but happy.”</p><p>“I have every reason to be happy since I met you, don’t you think?” Kara chuckled and leaned her body back so she could stare at Lena’s face for a while. The younger woman still had her eyes closed, a lazy smile on her lips, and Kara’s heart did a flip inside her chest. “It would be better if it was the sunset and we were on top of the cliffs, watching nature, but this will have to do.”</p><p>Now frowning in confusion, Lena also took a step back and opened her eyes. “Kara?”</p><p>The blonde took a deep breath and pulled the small black box from inside her pocket, where she had been hiding it all day, and just stared at it. "I was hoping I could take you to the Cliffs of Moher to give you this, something sickeningly romantic and unforgettable, but...” Kara paused, drawing out the last word, before she moved her eyes up to meet Lena’s. “But I guess our life doesn't like to be planned. Things just happen and... well, I can't say I don't like it. It makes things interesting.” Chuckling softly to herself, the hero took another deep breath and puffed her chest almost dramatically. “So, my plans were ruined by the rain and I will have to improvise, but I can work with this.”</p><p>The shorter woman’s expression softened as though she had understood where this whole thing was going and she tried to reach out to touch Kara’s arm, just to realize she was shaking. "Kara... Don’t worry about any of that. This is perfect."</p><p>"You better say that to all of our friends,” Kara raised one eyebrow in mockery.</p><p>Lena shook her head and used both hands to cup Kara’s face, brushing the pad of her thumbs against soft cheeks. "It has its charm, doesn’t it?"</p><p>Kara snorted a laugh, ducked her head and nodded. When she looked up again, her eyes were filled with tears and she felt like the world had stopped spinning around them. She wasn’t nervous about what she was going to say, she knew what Lena would say in the end – it’s not like she would be the first one to propose it – but she wanted to do it right. She already failed with taking Lena to the perfect place to do it and Kara refused to screw up by saying the wrong thing or not saying all she wanted to.</p><p>"I love you, you know,” Kara whispered, the emotions taking the best of her and making her voice falter a little. “With all my heart, with all I am."</p><p>"I love you as well, Kara,” the younger woman hushed back.</p><p>Kara smiled at her, turned her chin up and pressed a wet kiss on her forehead, before talking again. “I don’t know what I did to make the Universe take me to you, but everything has fallen into place since I met you. I have lived things with you that I had never even dreamed about and I still want to do so much more. I want to do everything with you. When I found you, I found a new life. I found a reason to be truly happy and I found my family.” She stopped talking for a couple of seconds, taking that moment to open the squared jewelry box, before she looked back at Lena with silent tears rolling down her cheeks. “You asked me if I wanted to join our houses and I said yes, but the truth is that we’ve been tangled around each other since we first met. So, since you gave in to my people’s customs, I decided to make it your way too.” The blonde couldn’t help but chuckle at the situation. “Lena Luthor...”</p><p>“Oh, God,” the woman groaned as though she was only then realizing what was going on.</p><p>“Will you marry me?”</p><p>“Fuck, yes!” Lena exclaimed without missing a beat and they immediately started laughing as they moved in sync to wrap each other in tight, warm, loving hugs. “I love you,” the brunette whispered against the hero’s ear.</p><p>Kara hugged her tighter, holding the box carefully between them with one hand while the other one combed her fingers through raven locks. “I love you too.” After a minute or two, the blonde poked the woman’s ribs playfully. “Don’t you want to see your ring?”</p><p>Even as she pulled away, clearly excited, Lena still shook her head. “You didn’t have to buy me a ring, Kara.”</p><p>“I know,” the hero agreed with a large grin while she gently took the ring out of the box. “But how would we tell everyone that we’re engaged when neither of us has a ring? Also, you deserve everything I can give to you.” Kara took Lena’s left hand, the woman spread out her fingers, and the taller girl winked at her. “And I wanted to give you a ring.”</p><p>Lena chuckled, her eyes following the movement as Kara slid the ring on her finger with the heart pointed towards her fingertip. “You did your research,” she teased.</p><p>“Of course,” Kara huffed. “I wanted to make it right. A Claddagh ring for my beautiful Galway girl. For engagement, use it on your left hand with the heart facing the fingers,” she recited easily.</p><p>Lena nodded, shaking her head distractedly, her eyes never leaving the new piece of jewelry. “This is gorgeous, Kara.”</p><p>“That’s Liam’s birthstone,” the hero explained gently. “I wanted him to be a part of it too.”</p><p>Biting her bottom lip, Lena looked up with a few tears shining at the corner of her eyes. “I don’t think I will ever be able to express all the things you make me feel.”</p><p>“That’s okay,” Kara whispered. She curled her arms around Lena’s waist, pulled her close, and rested their foreheads together. “We have all our lives to figure things out.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“This is the fire escape, Kara!”</p><p>The blonde said nothing until the door closed behind them and they got surrounded by darkness, then she pushed Lena back against the door and a large smirk appeared on her face. “And what happens at the fire escapes, Ms. Luthor?”</p><p>Resting her hands against Kara’s shoulders, Lena made it clear that she shouldn’t try to get closer. “We’re not making out at the fire escapes of my old building, Kara.”</p><p>“You were the one who said it,” Kara teased. “I have a thing for roofs. I guess it’s the same with stairs.”</p><p>Lena rolled her eyes and shoved the blonde away. “We came here to go through my furniture to see what we will take to our new house. Your mom is taking care of Liam and it’s getting late. So, no, we’re not making out in here.”</p><p>Kara pouted but took a step back. Before Lena could open the door to get out, though, the blonde was pulling her by her hand again, up the last floor and to the door that leads to the roof. The door was heavy and she had to force it open, but there was no problem with doing that. The hero only stopped when they reached the middle of the roof, safely standing away from the edge – because she knew Lena was still scared about the things Lex did – but still close enough that they could see the traffic below them. As soon as she was satisfied with the spot, Kara turned around to face Lena with a big, bright smile.</p><p>“That was the place I used to sit when I came here,” Kara pointed at the far corner behind the ar conditioner escapes.</p><p>Lena raised both eyebrows. “You sat all the way there? That’s literally the furthest spot from my apartment.”</p><p>“Yes, well, I didn’t want to be a creep,” the blonde shrugged. “And didn’t you have cameras installed all over here?”</p><p>“I have never come out here myself, Kara,” Lena replied with a huff. “I paid people to put the cameras so I didn’t have to get out here. People who get on rooftops are crazy, in case you didn’t know.”</p><p>“Well...” Chuckling at the joke, Kara tilted her head to the side. “So, you’re saying that asking Alex to come here before we did so she could set up a table where I used to sit was not a good idea?”</p><p>Lena’s eyes slowly widened and she took a step back to be able to look at the blonde. “Kara...”</p><p>“Neither should I have called your favorite restaurant to get us food... or ask Sam what your favorite wine was... or ask my mother to spend the night so we could enjoy one last night in your apartment before you sell it?” In the end, the hero wiggled her eyebrows, clearly proud of herself.</p><p>Huffing an incredulous laugh, Lena cupped Kara’s face between her hands, her engagement ring shining against the moonlight, and pulled her in for a kiss. “You’re indescribably amazing, did you know that?”</p><p>The blonde chuckled against her lips, curling her arms around the shorter woman to pull her closer and closer. “Why can’t I never get you close enough?” she asked with a smile.</p><p>“Maybe you just need to keep trying.”</p><p>“I will,” Kara kissed the tip of her nose and smiled brightly. “We don’t have to be here, in case you don’t feel comfortable. I know you don’t like high places.”</p><p>“It’s okay, as long as no one pushes me from the edge,” Lena scoffed, although she shivered with the memory of falling down to her death.</p><p>“Well, you can think about this place as a nice territory instead,” the blonde offered with a shrug. “I mean, I came here to visit you and all.”</p><p>The brunette, who’s smile was getting bigger and bigger while Kara talked, pursed her lips and stared up at the blue eyes with humor shining behind her green orbs. “Is that the story we’re going to tell everyone?” she teased. “You know, when reporters start to ask, when other people want to know how we met. We’re going to say you just happened to be in the same hospital as me and that you visited me on my rooftop. Are we going to say we met here every night?”</p><p>“Yes, and we’re also going to add that you were the one who suggested it,” Kara affirmed with short nods as she spoke.</p><p>Lena rolled her eyes and tilted her head to kiss pink lips. “You’re lucky I love you.”</p><p>“I don’t see a lie there.”</p><p>It was later that night, when they sat on top of some blankets so they could stare at the stars, that Kara notice Lena had been quiet for a while.</p><p>“What are you thinking?”</p><p>“I’m thinking how lucky I am that you decided to save a pregnant lady all those months ago,” Lena sighed, paused and then chuckled to herself. “I still can’t believe you yelled ‘pregnant lady’ in the middle of the hospital.”</p><p>“Hey!” Kara protested. “I didn’t yell, and they were doing nothing to help you! I panicked, okay? I could already tell you were very important to me.”</p><p>“Oh, really?”</p><p>The blonde nodded eagerly. “Kal said Kryptonians connect with the person they love and I believe I was already connected to you by the time I took you out of that car.”</p><p>Lena kept her eyes glued at the stars for a few more seconds, then she smiled fondly and she allowed her eyes to move back at the blonde to show her how much those words affected her. “I will never find words to describe all that you mean to me, but I will spend the rest of my life searching for them,” she said.</p><p>“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Kara whispered back, cupping her jaw and spreading soft kisses on her lips, cheeks and nose. “I like the way you make me feel. We fit together, so I’m not letting you go. Ever.”</p><p>“That’s a long time.”</p><p>“I could live a thousand lives and that would still not be enough time to love you,” Kara declared.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>It was February when all documentation from their new house was done and over, after Lena finally sold her old place and Kara’s rent contract ended, when they decided to move. Lena’s apartment was cleared first. They took everything they wanted to the new place, gave their friends some of the other things they wouldn’t need, and sold some others. Then, they bought everything else, deciding that they would only take Kara’s personal objects from her studio apartment.</p><p>The house was ready to receive them, so the last step was to join their things, sell all the things they wouldn’t be taking with them, and move to start their new life together.</p><p>“Lena, where should I put this box at?”</p><p>Kara waited until her fiancée looked up from where she was organizing the kitchen utensils, using her hip to support the said box. Once the green eyes fell on her, Lena scoffed and rolled her eyes.</p><p>“You can put the <em>fridge </em>down,” she replied. “I swear you’re worse than Liam sometimes.”</p><p>Chuckling, Kara put the fridge back on its place and walked over to hug Lena from behind, kissing her shoulder. “You think I’m funny.”</p><p>“Hardly,” Lena kept sorting forks and knives while trying to look like she was bored with the conversation, although she was smiling. “And you were supposed to be helping me put things inside the boxes. The truck will be here soon.”</p><p>“It won’t be here for another four hours,” Kara pointed out with a chuckle. “And we have most things put away already.”</p><p>“Kara Zor-El,” the brunette called with a playful threatening voice, “go put the books inside the boxes.”</p><p>“Or what?” the hero growled against her ear and watched as goosebumps rose on Lena’s arms, then she smirked to herself.</p><p>Lena inhaled sharply before putting down the last fork. She turned on her heels to face Kara, the gray National City University hoodie raising on her stomach when she curled her arms around the blonde’s neck. “I don’t think you want to find out.”</p><p>“Maybe I do,” Kara whispered, her eyes glued on red, plump lips like she couldn’t look away, and both hands rested on the woman’s hips.</p><p>Lena hummed softly – neither of them realized when they started to sway to a slow rhythm that no one could hear. “The sooner you get your part done, the sooner you get a kiss from me.”</p><p>“Not fair.”</p><p>“Totally fair.”</p><p>Kara groaned and closed her eyes in a grimace. “You’re mean sometimes.”</p><p>“Comes with being a Luthor, darling.”</p><p>“That’s not true. Look at Liam, he’s not...”</p><p>The words died in her throat when Kara turned around to point at the boy who had been playing in the almost empty living room, just to find him simply crossing the space from the couch to where his puppy was. Crawling. He was crawling. Like it was nothing, he was up and crawling as though he has been doing that his entire life. It took him nine months, but there he was.</p><p>“Holy fuck,” Lena breathed behind her, just as shocked.</p><p>“He’s crawling,” Kara declared unnecessarily. “Lena... Lena, he’s crawling.”</p><p>Liam had reached his puppy and he grabbed it with his little fingers before turning around to crawl back to the couch. Then, just like he wasn’t blowing his parents’ minds already, he let go of the plush puppy, put both hands on the couch and ungracefully got up on his feet, his unsteady legs wobbling with effort and from not knowing exactly how to pull that move.</p><p>“He’s standing,” Kara narrated again. Both women let go of each other so they could watch the whole scene more closely, their eyes wide, their mouths open, and identical shocked expression on their faces. “Lena...”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Lena, he’s standing.”</p><p>“I can see that.”</p><p>“Lena...”</p><p>Neither of them dared to approach the boy in case he decided to stop doing whatever he was doing, but Liam wasn’t even paying attention to them. He tried to bend down to grab his puppy again, but he wasn’t sure how to do it. Rather than break his head trying to find a way to do it, Liam decided to take a step forward so he could grab the remote, that was on top of the cushion. Just as he rose his left leg, getting ready to take his first step, the boy’s other leg gave in from under him and he fell back on his ass.</p><p>There was a couple of seconds in silence where the adults held their breath and the baby looked around in confusion, not sure how he ended up on the floor again, before Liam looked up at them and giggled loudly. They had different reactions to that. Kara closed her eyes, ducked her head and giggled too, while Lena huffed a surprised sound with her eyes still watching Liam eagerly.</p><p>“Until five minutes ago he wasn’t even crawling,” Kara said, “and now he’s standing.”</p><p>Lena acknowledged her comment with a nod, then she raised her head proudly. “He’s a genius.”</p><p>The blonde let out a blissful laugh at that and then pulled Lena in for a side hug. “He’s your son, I wouldn’t be too worried about his brain. He will be applying to Harvard by ten.”</p><p>“He’s your son too, I wouldn’t be surprised if he found out a way to fly to get there.”</p><p>Kara chuckled and opened her mouth to reply to that, just to interrupt herself when she saw Liam rolling to his knees and hands. “Oh, look, he will do it again.”</p><p>“I’m under the impression he will never stop now that he figured out how to do it.”</p><p>“Lucky us.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Ruby, be careful!”</p><p>“Got it, mom!”</p><p>Sam huffed, both hands on her waist as she watched her daughter running around while being chased by a large white dog. “I swear she will stop listening to me soon.”</p><p>Alex laughed as she slid one arm around Sam’s waist so they could both watch the scene in front of them. “Of course she will, she’s a teenager.”</p><p>“You’re not helping me here.”</p><p>Behind them, Lena snorted when she saw the redhead leaning to kiss her friend’s cheek. She was helping Eliza spread several dishes on the picnic table while making sure the few decorations they had chosen were still in place. They had decided to make a small celebration for having moved to their new house – even though they had moved a few weeks before - using their backyard and inviting only their closest friends, and Eliza had promptly offered her help while Alex said she would gladly taste the food for them.</p><p>Nia, the girl Kara had taken under her wing at CatCo and had quickly become one of her best friends after she found out the girl was half-alien, was there talking with Brainy and James. J’onn was standing more to the corner quietly watching everyone, and Ruby was playing around with Archie, the stray dog Alex had rescued. Liam, who had been sitting on a blanket on top of the grass, kept babbling to himself, distracted by everything going on around him. Kara wasn’t there yet and Lena would have worried about it if her fiancée wasn’t texting her at every few minutes to say she was almost on her way.</p><p>Just as Lena was about to see if the blonde had texted her again, the backyard door slid open and Kara’s head appeared while she did her best to keep her body hidden. “Liam, we have a surprise for you.”</p><p>The boy, who learned to recognize his own name and some other words, searched through the yard with his green eyes until he spotted her and opened a wide smile. Chuckling, Lena let go of the things she was holding to walk towards her son to pick him up. “What do you think your <em>ieiu</em> got you?” She whispered at him, making her way to Kara.</p><p>Just when Lena stopped in front of her, holding a curious boy, Kara finally took a step to the side so she was standing in front of the door and looked down to show a medium-sized dog who was suspiciously looking around. They had chosen the dog at the shelter on the same day they moved to their new house, but waited until they had put everything away before going to pick him up. The dog was a mix between a german shepherd and a golden retriever according to the people at the shelter and he was still growing, so Lena had no idea how Kara convinced her to adopt him instead of the small chihuahua that was also there – well, she knew <em>how, </em>the damn pout. She used to be so good at ignoring the pout and now she was defenseless.</p><p>“So cute!” They all heard Ruby’s excited shout from across the yard.</p><p>As if he could understand what was being said, Liam pointed a chubby finger at the dog and frowned. “What is it, my prince?” Lena asked gently. “Do you want to touch him?”</p><p>While Lena crouched in front of the dog, holding Liam in her arms, Kara held the dog collar to keep him from making any unexpected move. They exchanged a look, something between concern and expectation, while Liam reached out to touch the dog’s nose. Lena kept a hand on his arm to be able to pull him away if needed, but she soon learned she was worrying about nothing because, as soon as the dog smelled the baby, he put his large tongue out and started wiggling his tail, all apprehension leaving his body.</p><p>Kara chuckled. “Guess they like each other.”</p><p>“Is that true, baby boy?” Lena chanted happily. “Do you like the dog your mommies got?”</p><p>Just as she said that, Liam shyly tried to repeat her words. “Ma-ma.”</p><p>Lena froze, as did Kara, and they just stared at each other with wide eyes like they did when Liam simply got up in the middle of the living room without a warning. He had rambled syllables before but that time sounded different, like he was actually trying to say something, and there was no denying what he was trying to say. He wasn’t done, though.</p><p>“Do-go.”</p><p>There was another second of complete silence before Kara huffed a laugh. “Can you believe this kid? I spent months teaching him how to say ‘Krypton rocks’ and his first words were ‘mama’ and ‘doggo’?”</p><p>And then, just because he could, Liam shouted: “Rao!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This end note will be a little different. Instead of a crack!dialogue I will give you some news instead:</p><p>There will be a sequel to this.</p><p>I won't say when I will post it, neither will I say what it will be about, and I also don't wish to be pressured to do it sooner or later. It will happen when it has to happen. However, I wanted to let you guys know this isn't the last time we meet this beautiful family.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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